Health
Heat exposure linked to better sleep, experts say — here's why
Heat exposure has been linked to lasting benefits for overall health.
Spending time in heated environments, like a sauna, can reduce the risk of some chronic diseases and can help improve sleep, research has shown.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Todd Anderson, co-founder of Dream Performance & Recovery and host of the “Beat the Heat” podcast, shared some lesser-known effects of spending time in a sauna.
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“Sauna went from this thing that felt good, to something that could actually be a longevity tool,” said the Nashville-based health and wellness expert. “The combination of this hard science and the explosion in longevity and popularity has created something.”
Spending time in a sauna can have multiple health benefits, studies have shown. (iStock)
Increased “sauna bathing” has been associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, according to research from Finland.
Participants in a global sauna survey in 2019 also reported health benefits regarding mental well-being and sleep, with few adverse effects.
The survey found that participants — particularly from Finland, Australia and the U.S. — were most motivated to use saunas for relaxation.
How heat improves sleep
While saunas can improve longevity and mood, Anderson, whose podcast is hosted inside a sauna, added that heat exposure can also improve sleep.
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When the body heats up before sleep, the blood vessels open, allowing the body to get more circulation to the extremities, he said.
Although the body’s core temperature needs to cool down by about a degree to fall into quality sleep, raising the body temperature might seem “counterintuitive,” the expert added.
When the body heats up before sleep, the blood vessels open, allowing the body to get more circulation to the extremities, an expert said. (iStock)
But since the blood vessels are open and pumping more blood, this allows the core temperature to lower faster, and the body’s instinct is to cool itself off after being exposed to heat.
“You go into a cold, dark room … and all of a sudden you’re able to lower your core temperature much more quickly than you normally would, resulting in falling asleep faster and getting higher quality sleep throughout that first part of the night,” Anderson said.
“Plenty of evidence shows that viruses do not do well in environments with high temperatures.”
The expert added that the same sleep benefits can be captured with a hot bath, shower or hot tub.
“The longevity and all-cause mortality benefits are going to be connected particularly to the sauna,” he said. “But there are some great sleep studies [showing the benefits] of applying any type of heat before bed.”
Viruses don’t like it hot
Exposure to heat can also help boost the immune system, as the body’s natural response to fighting a bug is to spike a fever, according to critical care physician Dr. Roger Seheult.
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Methods like steam saunas raise the body’s natural temperature and can help kill off viruses that don’t fare well in the heat, he said.
“Plenty of evidence shows that viruses do not do well in environments with high temperatures, and that our body signals the innate immune system using fever,” the California-based doctor told Fox News Digital.
Methods like steam saunas raise the body’s natural temperature and can help kill off viruses that don’t fare well in the heat. (iStock)
In addition to the health benefits, Anderson noted that he’s made lasting friendships during sauna sessions.
“It’s a rare bubble in our society right now where phones don’t work. You’re face-to-face. You’re going through some controlled adversity,” he told Fox News Digital. “There [are] just so many things that I think have dissipated from our society that are brought back to life in a sauna.”
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“When you go through stress together, your brain is wired, and it promotes connection with other people.”
Accessibility for all
Enjoying a sauna doesn’t have to require a luxury health club membership, according to Anderson, as saunas have been popularized in many cultures for generations.
“There are ways to make them with scrap wood and there are some different, cheap heating options,” he said.
Todd Anderson (right) sits outside his sauna after a session with “Beat the Heat” guest Ken Rideout. (Todd Anderson)
In Finland, a country where saunas are a part of the everyday routine, there are more than five million people and three million saunas, noted Anderson, who recently visited there.
“Almost everybody has a sauna at their house,” he shared.
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In many countries, saunas are part of the overall culture and can have healing properties, Anderson went on.
“It’s a feeling. It’s very stress-free, in tune with their body connection. Families do it together. It’s this spiritual thing.”
In many countries, saunas are part of the overall culture and can have healing properties, Anderson said. (iStock)
Proper practice and potential risk
The average person will lose a pint of sweat during a short session in a sauna’s dry heat, according to Harvard Health.
“The pulse rate jumps by 30% or more, allowing the heart to nearly double the amount of blood it pumps each minute,” stated the Harvard Medical School publication.
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“Most of the extra blood flow is directed to the skin; in fact, the circulation actually shunts blood away from the internal organs. Blood pressure is unpredictable, rising in some people but falling in others.”
While saunas are generally safe for most people, Harvard Health cautioned that people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease should check with their doctors before participating.
“A sauna’s dry heat (which can get as high as 185°F) has profound effects on the body,” Harvard Health wrote. (iStock)
Sauna-goers should also avoid alcohol and medications that may “impair sweating and produce overheating before and after your sauna,” according to the same source.
Harvard advised staying in the sauna for no more than 15 to 20 minutes and gradually cooling down after.
Drinking two to four glasses of cool water is also encouraged after a session.
“Don’t take a sauna when you are ill,” Harvard Health warned. “And if you feel unwell during your sauna, head for the door.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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