Sauna blankets have several uses, but before we get into that, let’s define what they are. Similarly to infrared saunas, which heat your body directly via infrared radiation rather than the air around you, sauna blankets function by simulating the conditions of a sauna.
This means that both the temperature and the humidity levels are reduced in an infrared sauna compared to a conventional one. The typical sauna can reach temperatures of up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas a dry heat sauna will only reach 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 5%.
In spite of this, you will still become sufficiently warm and sweaty in these conditions, gaining the same advantages as you would in a more strenuous setting. You can think of a sauna blanket as just the same thing, but in blanket shape. You get all cozy under the blanket, flip the switch, and sweat as you relax.
Therefore, let’s take a look at all a sauna blanket has to offer.
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In what ways do sauna blankets help you?
We’ve compiled a list of the most often mentioned sauna blanket health benefits and provided our opinion on how probable each one is to be real.
1. It’s Going to Make your Heart Race
The increased heart rate that occurs immediately after entering a sauna has numerous positive impacts on cardiovascular health. When this occurs, your body responds by increasing your heart rate in an effort to cool itself off. Regular sauna users may reduce their risk of cardiac arrest, coronary disease, and cardiovascular disease, according to some research.
Even though these studies mostly focused on traditional Finnish saunas, there is good reason to expect that infrared saunas and sauna blankets will have a similar effect, making a sauna blanket a fantastic approach to try to enhance your heart health.
2. Increased Blood Flow Means Better Health
Since the heat of a sauna causes your heart to beat quicker, it also causes more blood to be pumped around your body, which is good for your heart.
If you suffer from poor circulation, this will help immensely because blood will be able to flow to your extremities without any obstructions. The risk of cardiovascular disease is lowered, and it may also help relax stiff blood vessels.
3. It may Help Keep Your Blood Pressure Normal
Saunas have been shown to be beneficial for lowering blood pressure when used regularly, while some people experience an increase in blood pressure on their first session.
If you use a sauna regularly, even if it’s just a few times a week, you’ll see your blood pressure gradually decrease to a healthier level, with all the benefits that provides.
Again, the studies cited in support of these claims focused on conventional Finnish-style saunas rather than infrared saunas or sauna blankets, but there’s no reason to doubt that the outcomes wouldn’t be similar, if not quite as pronounced.
4. Saunas Decrease Stress
Both anecdotal evidence and scientific research support the claim that using a sauna can help you relax and de-stress. It’s not surprising that traditional saunas, where one sits in a dark room filled with steam and does nothing but relax and sweat, have a calming effect on people. One of the primary draws of saunas is the mental respite they provide from the stresses of daily life.
Additionally, there is the social side, since many people go to saunas with friends or family, and even if you don’t, you may still talk to the others who are using the sauna around you. A sauna blanket might not provide the same experience, and you’ll surely miss out on the social component.
But if you create your own sauna blanket ritual, perhaps by listening to spa-like music and turning off your phone, you’ll find that sweating under a blanket can have the same relaxing effects as sitting in a wood sauna.
5. It Makes You Feel Good and Happy
As with stress reduction, regular sauna use has been shown to improve mood, so if you’re looking to perk up your disposition, make it a habit to sweat it out. The production of endorphins, which play a role in mood regulation, may possibly account for the upbeat feelings reported by those who frequent saunas.
Also, while most studies focus on traditional saunas, incorporating a sauna blanket into an indulgent self-pampering regimen has been shown to have positive effects on mood and well-being.
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6. In some cases, It Can Even Provide Pain Relief
All saunas also have the added benefit of relieving muscle and joint discomfort. Even if you ignore the scientific evidence, you’ll find that many sauna goers will insist that steam rooms are the best way to alleviate any and all aches and pains.
This advantage, like many others, may be more associated with conventional saunas than infrared ones. However, others claim that infrared radiation can reach deeper into the body than sauna blankets, resulting in even greater comfort.
7. Your Rheumatic Conditions May Improve
A modest study supports the idea that infrared saunas can help alleviate joint discomfort and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Since infrared treatments were the focus of this study, this is an advantage you may also expect from a sauna blanket; if you suffer from these types of conditions, a sauna blanket may be a good investment.
8. Reduces Post-Workout Soreness
Tennis professionals, soccer players, boxers, and mixed martial arts fighters, among others, all use saunas as part of their post-workout or -match rehabilitation routines today. There is some scientific support for this theory as well.
This is because the heat and relaxation of a sauna greatly aids muscle recovery after strenuous exercise. Since infrared radiation may infiltrate your body and muscles, an infrared sauna or sauna blanket should have at least the same, if not a more noticeable, effect.
9. Saunas are Great for Your Skin
Infrared saunas and sauna blankets have been touted for their purported ability to promote skin health. Sometimes this is questioned because there isn’t much evidence to support it right now. However, it’s logical to assume that this assertion is genuine, given that the increased heat increases blood flow to the skin and that sweating opens your pores.
It is also possible to receive the same benefits from a sauna blanket as from a traditional sauna by sitting under the blanket. If you use a sauna blanket, your face and complexion won’t benefit because you can’t keep your head inside the blanket while doing so.
However, all that considered, sauna blankets are an excellent method of improving your skin and can be used to cure conditions like psoriasis and general dry skin.
10. This Helps those with Chronic Fatigue Feel Better
Not much is known about what causes chronic fatigue syndrome, but infrared saunas and, by extension, sauna blankets, have shown promise in treating the illness. Despite the study’s small sample size, after four weeks, several individuals reported reductions in symptoms like weariness and soreness.
This suggests that sitting in a sauna blanket is, at the absolute least, worth a shot for those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and are looking for ways to alleviate their symptoms.
11. Your Life Expectancy May Increase
This may sound like a bold statement, but if sauna blankets can help with your heart health, blood pressure, stress, and other health issues, then it stands to reason that they can also help you live longer.
Of course, given the novelty of sauna blankets, there have been no long-term studies to corroborate this; but, given how improbable it is that using one will cause you any harm, there’s no reason not to use one if you want to attempt to live a longer life.
12. Conveniently Lightweight to Carry it with Little Effort to Anywhere
Not only may sauna blankets and other forms of sauna improve your health, but they also have a few benefits that are unique to blankets. Having a sauna blanket at home means you can get the health benefits of infrared rays whenever you please, without having to schedule a trip to the gym or spa.
In addition, their small size and light weight make them convenient to bring along on any trip. Athletes who must travel long distances to compete will find this quite helpful; they can use it on the road to speed recovery after a day of competition when they return to their hotel.
13. Many Dollars can be Spared as a Result
The low price of sauna blankets is yet another perk compared to alternative sauna options. The upfront cost of a high-quality sauna blanket may seem high, but when you compare it to the price of a single sauna session at a spa, you’ll discover that using your blanket just twice a week quickly pays for itself.
Because of the high cost, this is especially true of infrared spa treatments. Sauna blankets are the most cost-effective method to reap the health advantages of a sauna without having to invest in expensive equipment or remodel your home to accommodate a traditional or sit-in infrared sauna.
Misconceptions Regarding the Sauna, Busted!
The sauna blanket has many positive effects, but there are also some myths about it.
Does it Actually Cause Weight Loss?
The first urban legend is that sauna blankets (and saunas in general) facilitate weight loss. This belief originates from the observation that many people report feeling lighter after spending time in a sauna.
You may lose some weight initially, but it will be water weight (because to sweating), and you’ll regain it as soon as you hydrate. Some people also claim that using a sauna might help you shed pounds by increasing your metabolic rate.
Of course, this is not the case. Your heart rate increases and you perspire just like you would during exercise when you enter a sauna. But they won’t get your metabolism going or help you shed pounds. To get those advantages, you’ll have to go out and actually do some physical activity, we’re afraid. Sorry.
The Detoxification Process: Does It Work?
A second widely held misconception is that saunas aid detoxification by causing one to “sweat out” all the toxins already stored within its users’ systems. However, this is not the way things operate. When your body temperature rises above a certain point, it produces sweat, which is virtually totally water.
However, your sweating does not aid in cleansing because your liver and kidneys accomplish that instead. This also means that you won’t be able to “sweat off” a hangover by sitting in a sauna or under a sauna blanket, as doing so would only cause you to get even more dehydrated and so increase the severity of your headache.
Does it Help Your Immune System?
Finally, there is little evidence to support the concept that using a sauna of any kind will strengthen your immune system. However, since a strong immune system is directly linked to low levels of stress, it stands to reason that taking advantage of a sauna or sauna blanket for these purposes might also benefit your body’s defenses.
There was some evidence from a short research done in Austria linking regular (traditional-style) sauna use to fewer cases of the common cold. This study did not have a large sample size, therefore it cannot definitively say that saunas help people stay healthy.
After All Is Said And Done
There is a long number of advantages associated with sauna blanket use, and in many ways they are comparable to, if not better than, traditional saunas or sit-in infrared saunas. We hope this guide has been helpful in determining whether or not a sauna blanket is something you’d like to invest in.
