How long should you stay in a sauna?

The short answer

• Traditional or wood-fired sauna (160–200°F): 5 to 10 minutes per round if you are new, 10 to 15 minutes once you are used to it. Two or three rounds is a normal visit.
• Steam room or banya: shorter, often 5 to 10 minutes, because wet heat feels hotter.
• Infrared sauna (about 104–140°F): 20 to 45 minutes in one session, because the air is much cooler.
• Between rounds: cool off, then rest for about as long as you were in the heat.

Leave earlier if you feel dizzy, sick or confused. These are typical ranges, not targets to beat.

Why the times differ

A traditional Finnish sauna is usually heated to about 175–195°F (80–90°C) at face level, with dry air that turns briefly humid when water is thrown on the stones. Research on Finnish sauna use mostly describes sessions of about 5 to 20 minutes. (Podstawski et al., Frontiers in Public Health, 2024)

Infrared saunas heat your body with panels instead of heating the air, so the room stays around 104–140°F and sessions often last 30 to 45 minutes. (The Conversation, 2018)

Steam rooms and Russian banyas feel hotter at a lower temperature because the air is full of moisture and your sweat cannot cool you. Most people stay in for less time. See Finnish vs infrared saunas and what is a banya.

A typical first visit

1. Shower and dry off. You heat up faster dry.
2. Round one: 5 to 10 minutes. Sit on a lower bench, where it is cooler. Breathe slowly.
3. Cool off. A cold shower, a cold plunge or just cool air outside. Ease into cold water rather than jumping in. See sauna then cold plunge.
4. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Sit or lie down and drink water. Let your heart rate settle.
5. Round two and three. Stay a little longer if you feel good, or move up a bench.
6. Finish with a final rest and more water before you get dressed.

A full visit like this takes 60 to 90 minutes, which is why many bathhouses sell passes of that length.

What about the 20-minute number?

You may have read that longer sessions are healthier. A large Finnish study found that men whose sessions lasted more than 19 minutes had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death than those who stayed less than 11 minutes. (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015) That is an association among men who had used saunas all their lives, not advice to push yourself. If you want longer total time, do more rounds rather than one long one. Read more in our guide to sauna benefits.

Signs you should get out now

• dizziness or feeling faint
• nausea
• a pounding headache
• confusion or trouble thinking clearly
• your heart racing in a way that feels wrong

Stand up slowly, move somewhere cool, sit down and drink water. A small study of young women who rarely used saunas found that nausea and confusion were the main warning signs before fainting. (Podstawski et al., 2024)

People who should keep it shorter

Go shorter, or ask a doctor first, if you have heart disease, blood pressure problems, are pregnant or take medicine that affects your heart rate or sweating. Never use the sauna after drinking alcohol. Our sauna benefits guide lists who should be careful.

How long you can stay at a bathhouse

Many places in the US sell timed sessions rather than open-ended day passes:

• Social saunas and contrast studios often sell 60- to 120-minute sessions.
• Korean spas and banyas usually sell a day pass, and you can stay for hours.
• Private infrared studios book rooms for 30 to 60 minutes.

Each listing on this site shows the price and the session length when the place publishes it. Browse by city, for example New York, Chicago or Seattle.