Sauna bathing with small children or even babies does not immediately bring to mind wellness, relaxation, peace and quiet, or a break. However, studies have repeatedly shown that even the youngest children benefit from sweating in the cozy warmth on Mom or Dad’s lap. The important thing is not to overwhelm them.
We’ve put together a few tips to help make a trip to the sauna with your little one a success.
Finland - the land of saunas!
What comes naturally to Finns has to first become part of our awareness: the idea that even the very youngest can go to the sauna. In Finland, families go to the sauna from infancy right through old age. In winter, several times a week. And for generations. So it can’t be all that bad!
Saunas in Finland rarely have anything in common with luxurious designer saunas; instead, they are a standard feature in almost every private home. It’s no wonder, then, that even the youngest children grow up with saunas and see them as a matter of course. Since babies don’t yet sweat and generally have more difficulty regulating their body temperature, Finns wipe them with a damp cloth or, from around one year old, sit them in a small tub of water placed on the floor. This helps little ones get used to the heat more gently and gradually.
At what age can children go to the sauna?
In general, there is no exact age at which a child is old enough for the sauna. Doctors, midwives and sauna associations are divided on the subject. Some believe that babies can use the sauna from around four months old. Others recommend waiting until the age of two or three, since children are generally much less able to regulate their body temperature than adults.
At public sauna facilities, children are usually allowed in only from the age of three, accompanied by and sitting on a parent’s lap. By around this age, they are usually toilet-trained and no longer need diapers.
It is also important to wait until the U4 early-detection checkup, so your child’s health can be assessed. Ask your pediatrician whether a sauna visit is safe for your child. That way, you’ll be on the safe side.
Are there benefits for children?
Why should the positive effects of sauna bathing apply only to adults?
Studies repeatedly show that even the very youngest children can benefit from the health benefits of a sauna visit. Babies are more relaxed afterward and literally sleep like a baby. Just like adults, babies and toddlers can strengthen their immune systems and defenses through regular sauna visits, and are therefore much less likely to get sick. It gets the circulation going. Especially in the winter months, when children’s noses are running at daycare and colds cause children to miss school, sauna bathing with little ones can help prevent illness.
That’s why more and more daycare centers have their own saunas, where children are introduced to sweating in a playful, child-friendly way.
Large wellness centers and thermal baths also advertise special children’s saunas, which are kept at lower temperatures and tailored to children’s needs.
Tips for your child’s first sauna visit
If you enjoy sauna bathing, you’ll naturally want to share that feeling of well-being with your little ones. You want your child to benefit from the positive effects of a sauna visit just as you do. To help your child gradually get used to the sauna and have lots of fun along the way, we’ve put together a few helpful tips:
- Ask your pediatrician to assess your little one’s health. If they consider sauna visits safe at the U4 early-detection checkup, you can gradually introduce your child to the sauna routine.
- Once your child is old enough, explain why people go to the sauna and what to expect. The rest will come naturally. They’ll enjoy the cozy warmth and being close to Mom or Dad.
- Start with 2 to 3 minutes in the sauna. After a few visits, once your child has adjusted to the temperatures, you can gradually increase the time in the sauna to around 5 to 6 minutes. It’s important to watch your child’s body language. If they become restless or seem uncomfortable, leave the sauna with them. Sauna bathing should be remembered as a pleasant and cozy experience.
- The middle bench in a bio sauna, which should be no hotter than 65 - 75 C°, is ideal for sweating. Hold your baby on your lap so they can enjoy the contact and closeness. If your child is a little older, have them lie on a sauna towel beside you.
- Toddlers rarely sit still and quietly on your lap. Explain that the best way to tolerate the heat is to relax and not “climb around.” It may not work from the start, but the more often you try, the more natural it will become for your child to relax in the sauna. To begin with, you could try a little game to spark their enthusiasm. For example, who can stay quiet the longest or keep their eyes closed?
- Leave the sauna with your little one if they become too restless, and don’t make a big deal of it. That way, they won’t lose interest in their little break in the cozy warmth.
- Two sauna sessions of a few minutes each are perfectly sufficient. Anything more would put too much physical strain on the child.
- Aromatic infusions and honey or salt scrubs may be the finishing touch to a sauna ritual for adults. However, they are not recommended for babies and toddlers, since the heat from an infusion would put too much strain on a child’s body.
- Exfoliating delicate baby skin is completely unnecessary, and there is far too great a risk of getting something in the eyes, mouth or nose.
- Cool down slowly with your child after sauna bathing. The best way is to take them out into the fresh air first, before getting into a cooler pool. At thermal baths and water parks, you can also finish the cool-down phase with a stay in a warm-water pool. The warmth makes children sleepy and increases their need for a rest.
- After a sauna session, it’s even more important than for adults to make up for lost fluids. So remember to bring plenty of tea, water or a refreshing juice spritzer.
Conclusion
Let’s briefly put all our questions about “children in the sauna” aside and look north to Finland, where even the youngest children are routinely taken to the sauna. Families have been sauna bathing together there for generations. So let’s set aside our doubts and trust our instincts.
As long as we keep a few things in mind, from checking our child’s health with the pediatrician to following some important sauna rules specifically for babies and toddlers, there’s nothing to stop us from enjoying the sauna with our little ones.
Have fun sauna bathing with your little one!