Salt rooms, sleep and stress: relaxing in a salt climate

Many people visit a salt room not only for their breathing but simply because they enjoy it: quiet, dimmed lights, clean air, half an hour when you don't have to do anything. In this article we write about what a salt climate can do for relaxation and sleep, and which proven methods also help you get better nights.

Why is good sleep important?

Lack of sleep does more than make you tired. It worsens concentration, mood and work performance, weakens the immune system, and in the long run also increases the risk of heart and vascular disease. Adults generally need 7–9 hours of sleep, and children need more.

Respiratory complaints and sleep

Night-time coughing, a blocked nose and mouth breathing are common causes of poor sleep. In asthma, symptoms typically get worse at night or early in the morning, and people with hay fever often wake up with a blocked nose. If respiratory complaints regularly disturb your sleep, it may be a sign that your treatment needs adjusting. In that case, talk to your doctor.

What can a salt climate offer?

Salt room visitors often report that:

• time in a salt climate is a calming, switching-off experience,
• their breathing feels easier,
• they rest better on the evening after a session.

These are individual experiences. The effect of salt therapy on sleep has not been studied with reliable scientific methods, so we do not recommend it for treating sleep disorders. As a pleasant, relaxing activity, however, it fits well into a healthy evening routine, for example with a home salt generator while reading or listening to music. Read more: Home salt therapy.

Proven tips for better sleep

1. Regularity: go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day, weekends included.
2. A cool, dark, quiet bedroom: the ideal temperature is around 17–20 °C.
3. The right humidity: 40–60%. Air that is too dry irritates the throat and nose.
4. A screen-free hour before bed: both the light and the content of phones and TV keep you awake.
5. Caffeine and alcohol: avoid coffee from the afternoon onwards, and alcohol worsens sleep quality.
6. Exercise during the day, but not right before bedtime.
7. Evening relaxation: a breathing exercise, reading, a warm shower or a calm half hour in a salt climate.
8. For allergy sufferers: in pollen season, shower and wash your hair in the evening, and use dust-mite-proof bedding covers.

Stress and breathing

Stress and breathing are closely linked: under tension, breathing becomes shallow and rapid, which can also worsen symptoms in people with asthma. A simple exercise: breathe in slowly through your nose for four seconds, hold for two seconds, then breathe out over six seconds. Repeat for a few minutes. You can practise this in a salt climate too.

When to see a doctor

If your sleep problems have lasted for weeks, if you snore and are sleepy during the day (this can be a sign of sleep apnoea), or if night-time coughing or breathlessness wakes you, seek medical advice. In these cases, proper assessment and treatment are what matter most.

This article is for general information only and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. AREC salt generators are not medical devices.