The secret of great sleep could be in a sauna room

In case you need one more excuse to hit the steam room, here's one more: saunas are known to help improve your sleep quality.

By Aaron Kok WQ - 4 May 2024

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There are few pleasures in life sweeter than a good night's sleep. The sweet, sweet feeling of lulling off into slumber, and waking up a good eight hours later feeling completely rested and perfectly ready to meet the day.

The health benefits of getting a good night's shut-eye is endless and well-known, but the truth is that as we get older, sleep can often become more and more elusive. Between the nagging deadlines, a home to care for and juggling your mental load every waking minute of the day, deep sleep sometimes feels more like a wish than a reality.

But here's a piece of good news: your sleep is about to get better, and its all thanks to a sauna room. Ahead, here are four ways that saunas improve your sleep quality (and five places you can slip into for a quick 30-minute sweat sesh).

Your body produces more melatonin

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As you sit in the sauna, your body temperature increases and then decreases as you leave the room. This triggers the production of the sleep hormone known as melatonin, which in turns gets you feeling sleepy. Triggering this early in the night can help you stay in deeper slumber for a longer period of time.

The heat relaxes your muscles

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We all know the relaxing powers of a heat compress, and that logic works the same as you sit in a hot sauna room. This helps with a myriad of things, including relieving body aches and muscular pains, which can help when you're looking to relax into a state of catching Zs.

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Cortisol – otherwise known as the hormone that induces stress and anxiety – lowers after spending half an hour in a sauna. This, in turn, takes the edge off of your mind so you're not laying in bed with your mind racing all through the night.

Finally, it's a good reason to shut down for a bit

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Look, you've had a long day, and sometimes, a little quiet time is well-deserved. Being in the cosy, quiet confines of a steam room or a sauna helps you to find your center, and switch off from the outside world for a bit.

Ahead, check out these five spas for great sauna and steam room facilities.

1. Yunomori Onsen & Spa

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Combining Japanese and Thai spa elements, detoxify your body and ease into relaxation as you soak in the onsen's mineral-rich waters.

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2. Auriga Spa

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Post-massage, make use of Auriga Spa's steam room and lounge facilities to wind down for the night.

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3. Element Wellness

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Partake in a time-honoured Japanese bath ritual in a private onsen room, as you soak your anxieties away in a hinoki wood-finished pool.

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4. Spa by JW

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Located in the city centre, Spa by JW at JW Marriot on Southbeach is a wellness fan's dream spa. Sign in for a short head and shoulder massage, then make use of the lounge facilities that includes a scented shower and (more importantly) a steam room.

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5. St Regis Spa

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Check into the posh confines of the St Regis Spa – seriously, the interiors is giving "celebrity wellness rehab facility" energy in the best way possible. Each treatment begins and ends with their signature rituals, and post-rub down, dip into the heated pool and feel your muscles decompress.

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