Short answer: neither is proven better, so pick the time you will keep.
The two studies we found that tried both times measured a hormone and muscle power rather than sleep. At night, finish 1 to 2 hours before bed, when warm baths helped people fall asleep sooner in a 2019 Sleep Medicine Reviews analysis of 17 bath and shower studies.
For an evening session after work, which is after dark on weekdays now, book a private infrared sauna at NOLA Chill, where 30 minutes is $30 on your own or $48 for two and 45 minutes is $40 or $64 for two, and you pay after your visit, at 6045 Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans, open 7 days and until 7 pm on weekdays. A session at 6 pm is over by 6:30 or 6:45, which leaves time for dinner and a slow evening before bed.
What the research says about sauna timing
The research on timing comes in pieces that each answer part of the question, since the only side-by-side tests of a morning and an evening sauna we found measured a hormone and muscle power, not sleep or how people felt.
| Timing | What the research found |
|---|---|
| The same sauna in the morning and the evening | Two small studies tried both times, and neither looked at sleep. In 1984, thyroid-stimulating hormone rose after 30 minutes in a sauna at both times, for longer in the evening, and in 2006, 9 men had no difference in jump, sprint or leg strength after 30 minutes in a sauna at 76 C (about 169 F), whether they went at 7 to 9 am or 5 to 7 pm. |
| A warm bath or shower, 1 to 2 hours before bed | A 2019 review of 17 studies found water at 40 to 42.5 C (about 104 to 109 F) improved how well people rated their sleep, and as little as 10 minutes taken 1 to 2 hours before bed shortened the time it took to fall asleep. The authors credit the drop in core body temperature that follows. |
| An infrared sauna right after strength training | In a 2023 trial, 16 male basketball players had less muscle soreness and felt better recovered after a 20-minute infrared sauna session at about 43 C (about 109 F) than after resting, and their heart rate and heart rate variability overnight did not differ. |
| Exercise in the evening | A 2019 review of 23 studies found evening exercise did not hurt sleep, if anything the opposite, though vigorous exercise ending within an hour of bedtime might make it harder to fall asleep and sleep well. |
| Heat or cold after training, before sleep | A 2026 review of the research in athletes says emerging evidence suggests heat after exercise, sauna included, may improve sleep, possibly by helping the body shed heat through the hands and feet, while cold within 2 hours of bedtime may disrupt it. |
| Regular sauna users, at any time of day | In a 2019 online survey of 482 regular sauna users, 83.5 percent reported sleep benefits after using a sauna. |
| Regular sauna users in Sweden | In a 2026 survey of 588 regular sauna users, women reported better sleep quality and less bodily pain after sauna bathing, while men reported no significant change. |
These are small trials, reviews and surveys of people who chose to answer, and none compared morning and evening saunas for sleep. Each is linked under How we checked.
Read together, they suggest that warmth in the evening is unlikely to hurt sleep and may help it, as long as there is time to cool down before bed. The sauna in the 2023 trial ran cooler than the room at NOLA Chill, and our page on a sauna for sore muscles covers more of the recovery research.
Why an evening sauna fits the dark months
Now that the clocks have gone back, most after-work plans in New Orleans happen in the dark, and a warm room is an easy one to look forward to. Sunset is 5:10 pm on November 5 and reaches 5:00 pm by the end of the month, by the US Naval Observatory’s figures for Magazine Street, so every weekday session at NOLA Chill from about 5 pm until the 7 pm close is a sauna after dark. A session that ends by 7 pm still leaves a few hours to eat and cool down before most people go to bed, and our page on dealing with the early dark has more ideas for those evenings. On a rainy night you can hear the rain on the roof from inside the sauna room with the music off or low, and in a hard rain it is loud.
If mornings suit you better
The case for a morning sauna is mostly practical, since neither time has been shown to be better for you than the other. It is done before the day fills up, there is no question of it running into bedtime, and stepping outside afterward puts you in the morning light, which matters because the American Academy of Sleep Medicine calls light and darkness the most powerful timing cues for alertness and sleepiness. NOLA Chill opens at 9 am on weekdays and Saturday and at 10 am on Sunday, so a session can come before work or start the weekend.
How to time a visit at NOLA Chill
Whichever time you choose, a few practical details make the visit easier. The full 30 or 45 minutes is your time in the sauna room, and the sauna is set to about 175 F (80 C), with the room air usually in the 150s and a lower setting on request. Drink water before and after, skip it after alcohol, and if you go in the evening, leave time to cool down and eat before bed rather than going straight from the heat to sleep.
If you want the longer session, book 45 minutes for $40 on your own or $64 for two, and our guide to choosing 30 or 45 minutes helps you decide.
For a regular evening or morning habit, a five-pack of 30-minute sessions is $125, or $25 a session, and a 10-pack is $200. One pack visit covers one or two people, packages can be shared or split, and they last 12 months, so the packages page is worth a look before your second visit, and every price is on the pricing page.
NOLA Chill is open 7 days: Mon to Fri 9am to 7pm, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 10am to 3pm, with off-street parking in front of the studio. The infrared sauna page has the room details.
What is still unknown
How an evening sauna affects sleep for most people is still an open question. The bath studies are not sauna studies, the infrared sauna trial had 16 male athletes, the surveys rely on what regular sauna users chose to report, and the 2026 review says it is unclear whether heat helps sleep through the nervous system or by easing soreness. No study we found compared morning and evening saunas for sleep or for how people feel.
Who should skip the sauna or ask first
Heat is not right for everyone. Skip the sauna, or check with your healthcare professional first, if any of these apply to you, and step out early if you feel dizzy or unwell.
- A fever or an active illness. Our page on using a sauna when you are sick covers when to wait.
- Pregnancy.
- High blood pressure that is not under control, or unstable heart disease.
- After drinking alcohol, or when you are dehydrated.
- Heat sensitivity, such as with multiple sclerosis.
- Medicines that change sweating, blood pressure or heart rate. A pharmacist can tell you whether yours do.
More for the dark evenings
- How to deal with it getting dark early
- How long it takes to adjust to the time change
- How to prepare for the time change
- When the clocks change in 2026, with New Orleans sunsets
- A sauna on a cold or rainy day in New Orleans
- A sleep and stress reset with NuCalm and the sauna
- Post-workout recovery in New Orleans
- Our evidence library, with the studies behind every service
How we checked
The timing findings come from the eight studies below, read in their published abstracts, and the sunset times are the US Naval Observatory’s figures for 6045 Magazine Street. The note on light comes from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We also searched PubMed for studies that compared morning and evening saunas and found the two small ones listed last, neither of which measured sleep. We read each source on October 29, 2026.
- Haghayegh and others, Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2019: a warm shower or bath before bed and sleep, a review of 17 studies
- Ahokas and others, Biology of Sport, 2023: an infrared sauna after resistance training
- Stutz and others, Sports Medicine, 2019: evening exercise and sleep, a review of 23 studies
- Miliotis and others, Sports Medicine, 2026: heat and cold after exercise and sleep in athletes
- Hussain and others, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2019: the Global Sauna Survey
- Engström and others, International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 2026: why Swedish women and men use a sauna
- Tatár and others, Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology, 1984: a 30-minute sauna in the morning and the evening
- Racinais and others, International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006: a sauna and muscle performance at different times of day
- US Naval Observatory, sun and moon data for one day
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine, daylight saving time
Frequently asked questions
Is a sauna at night bad for sleep?
It does not seem to be, as long as it ends well before bed. In a 2023 trial, overnight heart rate and heart rate variability after an infrared sauna following training did not differ from those after resting, and a 2019 review found warm baths 1 to 2 hours before bed helped people fall asleep sooner. Vigorous exercise ending within an hour of bed may be harder on sleep, so give yourself time to cool down.
How long before bed should you sauna?
Aim to finish 1 to 2 hours before bed. That is the window in which warm baths and showers helped people fall asleep sooner in a 2019 review of 17 studies, and it gives your body time to cool down, which the authors credit for the effect. Saunas have not been tested on the same schedule.
Is it okay to sauna in the evening after a workout?
For most healthy people, yes. A 2019 review of 23 studies found evening exercise did not hurt sleep, though vigorous exercise ending within an hour of bedtime might, and in a 2023 trial of 16 basketball players an infrared sauna after strength training left less muscle soreness than resting. Drink water, and step out if you feel dizzy.
Is an infrared sauna better in the morning or evening?
Neither has been shown to be better, since the two small studies we found that compared the times measured a hormone and muscle power rather than sleep, so choose the time you can keep. A morning session is done before the day fills up, and an evening one fits after work if it ends 1 to 2 hours before bed. NOLA Chill opens at 9 am on weekdays and stays open until 7 pm.
What time of day is best to sauna?
The best time is the one you will keep, because no study has shown a morning or an evening sauna to be better for you, and the only two we found that tried both times measured a hormone and muscle power rather than sleep. If sleep is your reason, the closest research is on warm baths, which helped people fall asleep sooner when taken 1 to 2 hours before bed in a 2019 review, so an evening session that ends by 7 pm at NOLA Chill leaves time to cool down before bed.
Does a sauna at night help you sleep?
It may for some people, but it has not been proven. In a 2019 survey of 482 regular sauna users, 83.5 percent reported sleep benefits, and in a 2026 survey of 588 Swedish sauna users, women reported better sleep quality while men reported no significant change. Both rely on what people chose to report.
Can you sauna at night after drinking?
No. Alcohol and dehydration are both on the list of reasons to skip a sauna, so an evening session comes before a drink rather than after one, and the same goes for the morning after a late night if you are still dehydrated. Drink water before and after your session, and step out early if you feel dizzy.
Where can I get an evening sauna in New Orleans?
NOLA Chill has a private infrared sauna room at 6045 Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans. Thirty minutes is $30 on your own or $48 for two, 45 minutes is $40 or $64 for two, and you pay after your visit. NOLA Chill is open 7 days: Mon to Fri 9am to 7pm, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 10am to 3pm.
NOLA Chill is a wellness studio at 6045 Magazine Street in New Orleans, not a medical clinic, and a sauna visit is not a treatment for a sleep problem or any other condition.