How a sauna can make you happier and healthier – having one regularly lowers depression, heart attack and dementia risks, studies show. Or ask a Finn

In Finland, the world’s happiest country, taking a sauna is like taking a shower. The country has around 3.2 million saunas for 5.5 million people

Studies link regular sauna use to an improved immune system, better sleep, and lower risks for depression, heart disease, hypertension – and now dementia

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In Finland, the world’s happiest country, taking a sauna is like taking a shower. Having regular saunas bring multiple health benefits, studies have shown. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:15am, 9 Mar 2023

Finland is the happiest nation to live in, according to the World Happiness Index 2023. This has been the case for years – but why?

The Finnish diet is mediocre, the weather is not great, and for many months of the year, daylight is at a premium – from October to February, the south of the country gets barely six hours and the polar north is shrouded in darkness night and day.

Experts point to the country’s beautiful nature, its abundance of forests and lakes, good governance, impressive public services, the widespread trust in authority and low levels of crime as reasons Finns are so happy.

There is another factor few talk about that may be behind the high happiness level, though: the widespread use of saunas.

A Finnish sauna cabin. The traditional Finnish sauna uses steam to induce perspiration. Photo: Shutterstock

When the average person talks about a “sauna”, they are usually referring to Finnish steam saunas. These are compact, wood-panelled rooms with wooden benches, where radiant heaters keep the temperature between 70 and 100 degrees Celsius (158-212 degrees Fahrenheit). Pouring water over superheated rocks on the heater fills the space with steam.