# Connie Zack (Co-Founder of Sunlighten): What Infrared Saunas Actually Do for Perimenopausal Hormones Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones.md Podcast: [Hello Hormones with Dr. Carrie Jones](https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411) Published: 2026-05-19T08:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://54c17651-b998-4423-8fb3-0961ba8b4fb9.libsyn.com/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones Audio file: https://mgln.ai/e/p1008880/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/54c17651-b998-4423-8fb3-0961ba8b4fb9/Sunlighten_episode.mp3?dest-id=5022965 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/episodes/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones Duration seconds: 3850 ## Resource Did you know that the heat in your sauna might not even be the most important part? Most women hear "sauna" and think of sweating buckets, longevity bros, and biohackers. But there is actually a whole spectrum of light energy happening inside an infrared sauna that is doing the real work, and it has a lot to do with your hormones. In this episode of Hello Hormones, I sit down with Connie Zack, co-founder of Sunlighten and one of the original pioneers of the infrared sauna industry. With over 25 years of experience studying how infrared light and heat impact the body at the cellular level, Connie breaks down what is actually happening when you step inside, why wavelength matters more than temperature, and what perimenopausal and postmenopausal women specifically need to know. If you have ever wondered whether a sauna is actually worth the hype, or if you have been told to skip it because of your hormones, this one is for you. What's Discussed: (06:41) The number one symptom of perimenopause (and it is not hot flashes) (07:13) Myth buster: why near infrared matters more than red light (10:17) Should you sauna in the morning or at night (17:40) The surprising fact about sweating that changes everything (27:43) Can you sauna in perimenopause if you already run hot (34:36) What near infrared does to your brain and memory (51:04) Infrared sauna vs cold plunge: which one wins for women (54:46) The most underrated benefit nobody talks about Thank You to Our Sponsors! Timeline Nutrition: Support your cells and how you age with Mitopure® Gummies from Timeline. Visit timeline.com/DRCARRIE and save up to 39% OFF your Mitopure® Gummies. Sunlighten: Supercharge your cells in a Sunlighten Sauna. Visit sunlighten.com/partner-savings/ to get $2100 OFF and free shipping. Studies Mention… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/episodes/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/hello-hormones-with-dr-carrie-jones-7333411/connie-zack-co-founder-of-sunlighten-what-infrared-saunas-actually-do-for-perimenopausal-hormones.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.