The short answer is, yes, infrared saunas are safe for children.
Infrared saunas can benefit children just like adults and are a great way to enhance physical and mental health,
Before your child enters the sauna, make sure that he or she is healthy and has no serious medical conditions. It’s important to understand your child’s medical history to know whether or not they are fit for the sauna.
The Best Age To Start
A study in Finland titled The Sauna and Children reported:
“In Finland sauna bathing by infants and children is guided by an empirically acquired parental understanding of the limits of safe heat “exposure”. Finnish children are rarely allowed into a sauna alone before they are 7 years old. Finnish parents observe the post sauna bathing behavior of their children, and this helps them to establish safe limits of exposure and avoid any adaptation problems.”
More recent reports advise the age when a child can safely start using the infrared sauna is 8 years old. Children under this age can’t regulate heat like an adult and can become dehydrated much more quickly.
Sauna Tips For Children
- Begin your child’s first sauna session by setting the temperature to 110 degrees and entering at 98 degrees. Leave the door open, and limit the session to 10 minutes.
- If the child feels fine for the next 24 hours, follow the same course the next time, but close the door. Following that, increase the session time by 2-minute increments over the next several sessions.
- If there is still no negative reaction, increase the temperature by 2 degrees until you reach the max of 120-130 degrees over each session.
- Do not exceed the 30-minute time limit. Remember to have the child enter the sauna at 98 degrees every time. Additionally, make sure to always adjust the time before adjusting the temperature.
Finally, if there are any adverse reactions such as light-headedness, nausea, or any discomfort, he or she may be detoxifying too quickly. Take a break from the sauna. Always provide supervision, and always make sure your child stays hydrated.
Health Mate considers this information a guideline, not a prescription or established rules.