Posted by Jeven Price
on May 25, 2026
Can a Sauna Help With Depression? What the Research Actually Shows
For most people, a sauna is a recovery tool. Something you use after training, or to wind down at the end of a long week. But a growing body of clinical research is pointing to something far more significant: that regular heat exposure may be one of the most powerful, accessible and underused tools for mental health available to us.
This isn't wellness marketing. This is peer-reviewed science published in some of the most respected medical journals in the world.
The JAMA Psychiatry Trial That Changed the Conversation
In 2016, researchers at the University of Wisconsin published a landmark randomised clinical trial in JAMA Psychiatry examining whole-body heat exposure as a treatment for major depressive disorder.
The trial randomised 30 adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder into two groups. One group received genuine whole-body hyperthermia, with core body temperature raised to 38.5°C. The other group received a sham condition designed to feel identical, without the actual heat stimulus.
Both groups were then followed for six weeks after a single session.
The results were striking. Using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale as the primary outcome measure, the heat group showed depression scores that were 6.53 points lower than the sham group at week one. By week six, the difference remained statistically significant at 4.27 points.
For context: typical SSRI trials show a 1.5 to 3 point separation from placebo on the same scale. The effect size from a single heat session was roughly 3 to 4 times larger than the average antidepressant and it lasted six weeks from one treatment.
(Janssen et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2016. PMID: 27172277)
The 2024 UCSF Trial: 11 Out of 12 No Longer Classified as Depressed
Building on the 2016 findings, researchers at the University of California San Francisco published a clinical trial in the International Journal of Hyperthermia in May 2024 combining heat exposure with cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of major depressive disorder.
The study enrolled 16 adults with MDD across eight weekly sessions. Of the 12 participants who completed the combined treatment, 11 no longer met the clinical criteria for major depressive disorder by the end of the study.
That is not a minor improvement in symptom scores. That is a near-complete remission rate from a non-pharmaceutical intervention.
(Mason et al., International Journal of Hyperthermia, 2024. DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2024.2351459)
Why Does Heat Exposure Affect Mood? The 3 Mechanisms
The question isn't just whether it works. It's why. Researchers have identified three primary biological mechanisms driving the antidepressant effect of regular heat exposure.
1. Endorphin release and the opioid system
Heat stress triggers your body's endogenous opioid system. Plasma beta-endorphin levels rise significantly after a sauna session, activating mu-opioid receptors in the brain. These are the same receptors that opioid drugs target, activated entirely through your own physiology. This produces the warm, euphoric sense of wellbeing many sauna users describe in the hours following a session.
2. HPA axis recalibration
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis governs your cortisol response and stress system. Acute heat raises cortisol briefly as it is a stressor, but repeated heat exposure trains the system to become more efficient. Over time, baseline cortisol levels drop. HPA hyperactivity, which is a well-documented hallmark of chronic depression and anxiety, calms with regular heat training. This is one of the slower-moving but more durable changes from consistent sauna use.
3. BDNF elevation
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is your brain's primary growth and repair signal. Heat exposure raises BDNF levels by approximately 66% in studied protocols. This matters because hippocampal volume, the brain region associated with memory, learning and emotional regulation, shrinks in chronic depression. BDNF actively supports neurogenesis in the hippocampus, improving synaptic plasticity, mood resilience and the brain's capacity to recover from stress. This is the same pathway activated by exercise, delivered through a different mechanism.
(BDNF data: Rasmussen et al., Journal of Physiology, 2009)
Does It Matter Whether You Use an Infrared or Traditional Sauna?
This is a practical question worth addressing directly.
The 2016 Janssen trial used medical-grade whole-body hyperthermia equipment that raised core body temperature to precisely 38.5°C. Traditional Finnish dry saunas operating at 80 to 100°C can achieve this core temperature elevation in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Infrared saunas operate at lower cabin temperatures, typically 45 to 65°C, but achieve similar core temperature elevation given longer session durations.
The key variable is core body temperature elevation, not cabin air temperature. Both sauna types can achieve the required stimulus with appropriate session length.
Nordhaus traditional saunas with Harvia heaters operating at 80 to 90°C will achieve the therapeutic temperature stimulus efficiently. Nordhaus full spectrum infrared saunas achieve the same outcome with longer, lower-temperature sessions, which some users find more tolerable when beginning a regular practice.
A Practical Protocol for Mental Health Benefits
Based on the research, here is a practical framework for using sauna specifically for mood and mental health outcomes:
Frequency: 3 to 7 sessions per week. The Laukkanen Finnish cohort study found that 4 to 7 sessions per week was associated with 65% lower all-cause mortality compared to once per week. For mental health, consistency matters more than intensity.
Duration: 20 to 40 minutes per session depending on temperature. Traditional sauna at 80 to 90°C: 20 to 25 minutes. Infrared at 50 to 65°C: 30 to 40 minutes.
Temperature: Hot enough that core body temperature rises meaningfully. You should be sweating heavily within the first 10 minutes.
Contrast therapy: Finishing with 2 to 3 minutes of cold exposure in an ice bath or cold shower amplifies the BDNF response and produces a sustained dopamine elevation that many users describe as the most powerful natural mood state they experience. This is the basis of Nordhaus's contrast therapy combo setups.
Timing: Morning sauna use produces an alerting, mood-elevating effect. Evening use produces relaxation and improved sleep onset. Choose based on your primary goal.
Hydration: Heat exposure causes significant fluid loss. Hydrate with water and electrolytes before and after every session.
Contraindications: When to Be Careful
Heat therapy is safe for the vast majority of healthy adults. You should consult a medical professional before beginning regular sauna use if you have cardiovascular disease, are pregnant, have heat sensitivity conditions such as POTS or MS heat intolerance, have an active infection or fever, or are consuming significant amounts of alcohol, which compounds dehydration risk.
If you are currently managing depression with medication or under the care of a mental health professional, do not discontinue treatment without medical advice. Heat therapy should be viewed as a complementary tool, not a replacement for professional care.
The Practical Advantage of a Home Sauna
The research is consistent on frequency: 4 to 7 sessions per week produces the most significant outcomes. That frequency is nearly impossible to achieve using a gym or commercial sauna facility. A home sauna removes every barrier between you and the practice.
This is the core case for a Nordhaus sauna at home. Not convenience for its own sake, but the fact that the tool only works if you use it consistently, and consistency is a function of access.
Build Your Home Wellness Setup
Nordhaus offers a full range of traditional and infrared saunas designed for Australian homes and outdoor spaces, paired with precision-chilled ice baths for contrast therapy.
→ Shop All Saunas — Traditional, infrared and full spectrum options from Nordhaus
→ Shop Wellness Combos — Save 10% on sauna and ice bath combo packages
→ Speak to the Team — Call 0401 696 261 or email sales@nordhaus.com.au
Sources: Janssen et al., JAMA Psychiatry (2016), PMID 27172277 · Mason et al., International Journal of Hyperthermia (2024), DOI 10.1080/02656736.2024.2351459 · Rasmussen et al., Journal of Physiology (2009) · Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine (2015), PMID 25705824
