Improve Your Sleep Naturally with Sauna and Cold Plunging
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The practice of sauna and cold plunge (cycling heat with cold) has been widely touted for its many health benefits online and in the world of health and wellness.
One key aspect that often gets overlooked in these generalized articles is that different protocols can produce different outcomes. For example, longer sauna sessions paired with shorter, gentler plunges tend to be optimal for sleep, while colder and longer plunges are better for boosting energy and supporting metabolism.
As someone who struggled with major sleep issues for a grueling six months, I experimented with various hot–cold cycles and later validated those findings with online research.
Today, let’s dive into some reliable protocols for sleep optimization, including the ideal sauna and cold plunge cycle recommendations.
1. Hydration
Make sure to hydrate before, during, and after your session.
Electrolytes or salty snacks afterward will help replenish what you lose while sweating in the sauna. If you wait until after the session to take in all your fluids, you may end up disrupting your sleep by needing to use the washroom during the night.
2. Time Your Session for Early Evening
Aim to schedule your sauna and cold plunge in the early evening.
Giving yourself roughly 2–5 hours between your session and bedtime allows your core body temperature to come back down naturally before you fall asleep.
3. Session Protocols
For sleep improvement, the key is to push yourself in the sauna, not the cold plunge. This means staying in the heat even when it becomes a bit uncomfortable. Personally, a 25–30 minute sauna at 90°C, with a little water thrown on the rocks (löyly) every five minutes, works perfectly. An added tip: sauna time goes by much faster with friends. Conversation helps distract you long enough to stay in the heat longer than you might on your own.
The second key aspect is how you use the cold plunge. When optimizing for sleep, you want to think about temperature regulation rather than going for long, intense cold exposures. For example, if you’re doing two hot–cold cycles, your session could look like this:
- 25-minute sauna
- 1-3-minute cold plunge
- 30-minute sauna
- 1–2 minute cold plunge
Your first cold plunge can be a bit longer since you’re heading back into the sauna afterward. But be mindful that the final plunge shouldn’t get too extreme—your body should end the session slightly warm to support better sleep. If you enjoy longer plunges and don’t want to skip them, simply finish your session with a warm shower to help bring your temperature back up before bed.
4. General Tips
No matter what else you do, a proper sauna and cold plunge session in the evening should dramatically improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are a few additional tips that can enhance your sleep even further:
• Limit caffeine 10–12 hours before bed.
This may sound extreme, but caffeine has a half-life of about six hours. For example, if you drink a coffee at 6 p.m., half of that caffeine is still active in your system at midnight. A simple rule of thumb: avoid caffeine after 12 p.m. if you’re sensitive, or 2 p.m. if it affects you less dramatically.
• Stop eating 3+ hours before bed.
Going to bed on a full stomach can make falling asleep harder and can reduce sleep quality. Try to eat dinner earlier, and if you need something later at night, stick to a light snack.
• Keep your bedroom cool.
A slightly colder room helps your body naturally ease into sleep.
• Make your room as dark as possible.
Block out any outside light, and cover any LEDs or device lights inside the room. A sleep mask can make a surprising difference.
• Manage noise.
Use earplugs or play soft white noise to eliminate disruptions and create a stable sound environment.
• Avoid phones and TVs before bed.
Aim to cut screens at least 30 minutes before sleep. The bright light—combined with the mental stimulation or stress (looking at you, doom-scrollers)—is terrible for winding down.
• Use relaxing replacements for screens.
Fiction is a great option—whether through a book, audiobook, or podcast. Getting absorbed in a story creates a calm, daydream-like state that naturally transitions you toward sleep. Journaling or light writing can also be excellent ways to wind down.
There you have it—the optimal sauna and cold plunge protocol for sleep, along with a set of simple habits that can amplify your results. Sleep is the foundation of your well-being, so putting intentional effort into these strategies each night can make a meaningful difference.
