Danger to life? – Falling asleep in the sauna
What can happen if you fall asleep in the sauna? It is comfortably warm and you are certainly relaxed. All of a sudden, your eyes fall shut, and you land in the land of dreams. But what can actually happen when you fall asleep in the sauna?
After all, while the heat is healthy for a short time, it is certainly dangerous in the long run. Would your body notice this on its own and make sure you wake up? Would you pass out immediately? We have tried to clarify this question for you.
Reports about sauna deaths
Again and again we are frightened by reports about sauna deaths. These are rarely people who die of sudden circulatory failure. Rather, they are people who have overexerted themselves. The main danger here is alcohol. The popular drug makes people tired and switches off their reflexes. This means there is a danger that you will fall asleep very quickly.
This sleep will not be restful in any case, but it is likely to be particularly deep. You are difficult to access, to external stimuli and also the mechanisms of self-protection fail. In fact, there is a risk that you will never wake up.
The danger of desiccosis
But why? The biggest danger is the loss of fluids. You continue to sweat incessantly while you sleep. When the temperature is high, you lose a large amount of fluid in no time. If you sleep deeply, there is a risk that you will not notice this loss. The body dries out, the medical term for which is “exsiccosis.”
As a result, the sleeper’s consciousness dulls to the point of fainting. At first, this is a protective measure of the body, which does not want to consume too much energy.
But this is the real danger. Because from now on, it is impossible for someone to wake up on his own and free himself from his situation. However, he will continue to sweat as long as there is fluid. Moreover, after some time, the kidneys will stop working. This is dangerous because the organs are responsible for pumping toxins out of the blood. Death would occur after a few hours, either because the heart fails or because several organs fail at the same time.
Normally, the organism protects itself
However, you do not need to be afraid of death in the sauna now. As long as you are healthy and sober, your body has protective mechanisms. You would get thirsty after a few minutes, wake up and get out of your situation. You probably wouldn’t even fall asleep in the heat – your organism would take care of that.
If you are still worried, you should just leave the sauna as soon as you get very tired. There is absolutely no danger in taking a nap in the rest area.
Pay attention to the people around you
You should always keep your eyes open in a public sauna. If someone is sleeping comfortably on the wooden bench, you should wake them up. This may not be very nice for the first moment, but it can save lives. If a sauna sleeper no longer responds to your approach, you should notify the staff. It can get help and prevent worse.
