Does an infrared sauna help hypothyroidism? For many of my patients, yes, used sensibly. Infrared runs cooler than a traditional sauna while still raising core temperature, which supports circulation, sleep, and stress regulation, three things a struggling thyroid drags down. It is support, not treatment, it does not replace your medication, and if you are hyperthyroid or heat intolerant, heat is the one lever to be careful with.

A thyroid disorder can throw off the body’s temperature control, making the idea of stepping into a sauna seem like the last thing we’d want to do. The word alone is what we use when we want to express that something is unbearably hot. But when you pair the word “sauna” with “infrared,” that all changes. Infrared saunas are a whole new experience that actually opens the door for women with dysregulated thyroid to receive the benefits that come from the unique characteristics of infrared.

Infrared saunas offer a unique experience that can be game-changing for women with thyroid disorders because it doesn’t have to be high heat to be effective. Think of the welcome sunlight brings after a gray day, or the warmth of the sun when laying on a beach. Instead of overwhelming heat, infrared therapy provides a gentler, more accessible way to tap into the incredible benefits saunas offer, making it a promising option that might just be your next new obsession.

What is an Infrared Sauna?

Before delving into the specific benefits, let’s first explore the science behind Sunlighten infrared saunas. These saunas use modern technology to replicate the beneficial spectrum of light waves found in natural sunlight.

Here’s a great 2-minute explainer animation video that answers the question, “What is infrared light?”

Unlike traditional saunas that rely solely on heating the air to extreme temperatures, infrared saunas penetrate the body’s tissues, gently heating the body from within, promoting a deep, detoxifying sweat at lower temperatures than traditional saunas.

Infrared light is both heat and light, resonating within our bodies to safely raise core temperature while energizing chromophores within our cells. This unique combination of heat and light triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions promoting cellular repair, detoxification, circulation and rejuvenation. 

Fighting Fatigue, Fat, and Frustration with Infrared Saunas

Fix Fatigue:

• Energize Cells: You may remember learning about “mitochondria” in middle school. It’s the “powerhouse of the cell” that generates the energy (called “ATP”) our body needs. Mitochondria absorbs infrared light energy, which helps produce ATP, so rather than feeling drained from heat, your body feels refreshed and energized.
• Improve Sleep: Infrared saunas promote relaxation and help regulate circadian rhythms, leading to improved sleep quality and enhanced energy levels. Better sleep means less fatigue.
• Reduce Stress: By inducing a deep sweat and lowering cortisol levels, infrared therapy helps alleviate stress and promote mental well-being.

Shed Fat:

• Support Metabolic Health: Evidence suggests that infrared therapy may enhance metabolic rate, improve insulin sensitivity, help balance a variety of hormones, and aid in weight management.
• Passive Cardio: Research has shown that infrared sauna acts as an “exercise mimetic,” by increasing heart rate and circulation similar to exercise.
• Faster Muscle Recovery: Infrared therapy accelerates muscle recovery, decreases inflammation, and relieves pain, making it an ideal complement to an active lifestyle.

Alleviate Frustration:

• Having an infrared sauna in your home makes it an easy, convenient go-to. It’s a wonderful experience and a habit you’ll love creating.

Other Benefits that Support Your Wellness Journey

• Reduce Inflammation: Infrared sauna therapy has been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the body. Infrared therapy aids in reducing inflammation by activating heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an enzyme that plays a crucial role in the body’s response to oxidative stress and inflammation. When cells are exposed to infrared light, it triggers a biochemical cascade that leads to the activation of HO-1.
• Enhance Cardiovascular Health: Infrared saunas improve heart health through enhancing endothelial cells which help retain suppleness of blood vessels and the walls of the heart, it aids in production of nitric oxide important for heart function and increases circulation to deliver oxygen and nutrients more effectively to organs throughout the body.
• Boost Immune Function: By stimulating heat shock proteins for cell repair, white blood cell production, and enhancing natural killer cell activity, infrared therapy strengthens the immune system, reducing the risk of illness and infection.

Learn more about all of the health benefits of infrared sauna.

Find the Right Infrared Sauna for Your Wellness Journey with Sunlighten

When it comes to selecting the right infrared sauna for your wellness journey, I think Sunlighten stands out as a leader in the field. 

With a commitment to science-backed technology and exceptional quality, Sunlighten saunas offer unparalleled benefits to support your efforts to be as healthy as possible with a thyroid disorder.

If you’re ready to reclaim your vitality and embrace a holistic approach to wellness, check out Sunlighten’s  infrared sauna collections. They’re beautiful, effective, and a great investment in your health and well-being. You’ll find their infrared sauna consultants are committed to listening to your health goals and helping you find the best sauna for your needs.

Click HERE and use code DRAMIE when you fill out the Get Pricing form for up to $600 off your Sunlighten infrared sauna.

What About Hashimoto’s Specifically

Hashimoto’s adds an autoimmune layer to the heat question, and it deserves its own answer. Most of my Hashimoto’s patients tolerate infrared well precisely because it runs cooler, but I have them start low and slow, and skip it on days they feel inflamed or run down. Heat is a stressor like any other, and on a flare day your tolerance for stressors is lower. If you notice a crash after sessions rather than a lift, that is your body answering the question for you. Respect it, shorten the sessions, and revisit when things settle.

Steam Room or Traditional Sauna vs Infrared

A steam room heats the air around you with humid heat, and a traditional sauna does the same with dry heat, both at high air temperatures. Infrared heats you rather than the room, at much lower air temperatures. That difference is the whole story for thyroid patients. If steam rooms leave you drained rather than restored, that is not a personal failing, it is your thyroid’s temperature control talking, and infrared is the version most of my patients can actually stay in long enough to benefit from.

Who Should Be Careful With Sauna Heat

If you are hyperthyroid or in a Graves flare, your body is already running hot and pushing more heat at it is the wrong direction. Wait until your levels are controlled and the provider managing your thyroid clears it. The same conversation-first rule applies if you are pregnant, have a cardiovascular condition, or take medication that affects heat tolerance. I deliberately do not hand out session lengths or temperatures here, because the right answer is to start low, keep it short, listen to your body, and decide with the person who manages your care.

Questions I Hear About Sauna and Thyroid Health

Can infrared light therapy help with thyroid problems? The research on light therapy for the thyroid itself is early and I am not going to oversell it. What I see in practice are the support benefits, steadier energy, better sleep, lower stress load, which matter enormously to thyroid patients even though they are not a treatment for the gland.

Does heat make an underactive thyroid worse? Heat does not damage your thyroid. What is true is that hypothyroidism disrupts temperature regulation, so intense heat feels worse than it should. That is exactly why infrared’s lower temperatures are the tolerable version.

What can flare up hypothyroidism? The usual suspects are stress, poor sleep, illness, and inconsistent medication. I cover the levers that actually help in my guide to improving thyroid health, and if your exhaustion has an adrenal flavor, read my piece on adrenal fatigue and burnout.

Why do people with thyroid issues wake up at 3am? That pattern usually points at cortisol, not the mattress. I walk through it in my sleep guide for thyroid and hormone patients.

A Small P.S.

It goes without saying that it is essential for women with thyroid issues to consult with their healthcare provider before starting any new therapy, including infrared sauna sessions. While many people may find infrared sauna therapy beneficial, it’s important to ensure that it’s safe and appropriate for your specific health condition and individual needs. Infrared sauna therapy should be used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that may include medication, dietary changes, and other lifestyle modifications recommended by your healthcare provider. Ultimately, you’ve got to listen to your body and take appropriate precautions when it comes to heat exposure.