Many people enjoy visiting saunas, but are wondering whether they can bring their kids with them. This is a valid question, as children are more delicate and need to be of certain age to visit a sauna. In this post, we will discuss whether kids can go to a sauna, what age is fine for kids to start using a sauna and other important tips.
Can Kids Go in a Sauna?
Yes, children can use saunas, but there should be precautions. While saunas can promote both physical and mental well being for all ages, children’s sweat glands are less developed than in adults. This makes them more sensitive to high temperatures. Children also have higher water content in their body than adults, so they can dehydrate more easily.
Kids typically prefer lower heat levels, such as those on the lower bench, or shorter duration in the sauna. In Finnish culture for example, saunas are deeply ingrained as family traditions that bring people together. Having said that, you can also discuss with your doctor to see whether your child is ready to start using sauna. This will depend on child’s health and general wellbeing.
What age can kids start using sauna? Age limit for sauna.
It’s generally not recommended for children under 6–8 years old to use saunas. If your child is 4-6 years of age, you can expose them to up to 5 minutes of sauna per session, with temperatures in a sauna not higher than 140-160 F (around 60-70 Celsius).
Studies suggest that younger kids are not very good at regulating their body temperature when compared to adults. After reaching puberty, children become better at regulating their body temperature. However, Finnish people, famous for using saunas, even bring their infants of 5+ months (or once they can sit on a lap) to sauna! They can be brought in a sauna in a bucket of water to help regulate body temperature.
Key Safety Tips for Kids in Saunas
- Supervision: Always ensure an adult is present when children use a sauna for the first time. This will help you teach them about using sauna correctly.
- Time Limits: Professionals recommend that children’s sauna sessions last no longer than fifteen minutes. Children have a harder time controlling their body temperature than adults do, and extended exposure to heat can be dangerous. Generally speaking, no one should spend more than 30 minutes at a time in a sauna, even youngsters.
- Maturity: Before letting your kid use the sauna on their own, determine their level of readiness. Do they have the maturity to stay in a sauna on their own? Make sure to enter and exit sauna with your child and don’t leave them unsupervised. Once your child can communicate their wishes and judge discomfort levels, you can let them climb on higher benches. But before that, only keep them on lower benches.
Are Infrared Saunas Safe for Kids?
If you want to introduce your kids to a sauna, infrared sauna might be a better option for children over 6 years old. Infrared saunas, unlike traditional ones, use infrared light to gently heat the room and surface of the skin. This eliminates the risk of burns from use of heating elements that can be used in other types of saunas. Also, these saunas operate at much lower temperatures, typically between 120–150 °F (49-65.5 Celsius), making them more comfortable and safer for children.
Portable infrared saunas are another alternative, offering the same benefits in a more flexible setup. Their lower temperatures and safer heating mechanisms make them ideal for introducing kids to saunas.
Additional Tips
- Don’t eat 2-3 hours before using sauna. Same applies for children.
- Always prioritize safety and comfort over duration or temperature settings.
- Like mentioned before, kids often prefer lower temperatures in a sauna. Each 1 inch of elevation equals to around 1 F temperature difference, so kids can sit on a lower bench to enjoy lower temperatures. Some even prefer sitting on the floor for the lowest temperature in a sauna room.
- For children, limit sauna to 5 minute sessions, with temperatures ranging from 140-160 F (around 60-70 Celsius).
- Avoid letting your kids take cold showers right after sauna, due to not yet fully mature adaptive mechanisms. Instead, they should take warm showers after sauna use.
So, to conclude, children can go in a sauna. However, start with shorter sessions and supervise them. Allow them to sit on lower benches (lower temperatures) until they are older or good enough at communicating their discomfort levels.