Is it good to sleep with the fan on?

Sleeping with it on is good in some ways, but can be harmful in others. There are many that are not safe, but some tips and alternatives can change that.

Profits

The wind from a fan while we sleep can offer some advantages. This is usually the great ally when sleeping on hot summer nights.

cooling effects

The most obvious benefit of a fan is that it can keep us cool and comfortable while we sleep. Being too hot at night can prevent us from falling asleep or staying asleep peacefully. And sweating too much can lead to a loss of important minerals the body needs.

Experts recommend that the room has a temperature below 20ºC to get to sleep without problems. However, this temperature is quite difficult to achieve without a fan or air conditioner. Also, the fan will help dry our sweat.

White noise

Many people get excited by the soothing sound of a fan. This buzzing is similar to the sound of white noise and can help us fall asleep.

Researchers have found that 80 percent of people fall asleep within 5 minutes of exposure to white noise. However, using a fan just for this purpose is not highly recommended. The cost of light can be higher than listening to a recording of white noise.

Air freshener

Fans can help circulate stale air and cool a room. This can make THE bedroom less stuffy and prevent unpleasant odours.

Also, on hot summer nights, keeping a window open will encourage fresh new air to move throughout the room. If we keep the door and the windows closed, the heat will be the same and the temperature of the room will not be reduced.

Sudden death prevention

Some research has shown that having a fan on at night reduces the risk of SIDS in babies.

Researchers have found that the use of ventilators during sleep was associated with a 72 percent reduction in the risk of sudden death risk in infants. It is also recommended that parents keep an eye on babies when the temperature is too high, and avoid bundling them up.

risks

But not all the effects were going to be positive. Sleeping next to a fan may be less beneficial than we think.

allergies or asthma

In patients with allergies to dust or other indoor antigens, a fan can remove particles in the room or disperse accumulated dust on the fan itself. The fan can pick up dust mites, pet dander, and many more pathogens, which can exacerbate allergy or asthma symptoms.

This can be especially true when sleeping with a pet in bed, as they can carry dander and other allergens. In addition, you have to clean the fan before putting it on, since the blades are usually full of dust.

Poor indoor air quality

The combination of opening a window and running a fan at night may sound like a smart strategy to keep you cool while you sleep, but it could be doing you more harm than good.

If we live in an urban environment where there are a lot of particulate diesel emissions, a fan can circulate these pollutants from the outside air back inside, directing them directly into the upper respiratory tract. This is especially harmful, whether we are allergic to dust or not.

In fact, these pollutants can worsen indoor air quality. And poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer, and chronic lung diseases like asthma.

Congestion

If we have ever had a stuffy nose after sleeping with a fan, it is due to having a direct current of air that can remove moisture from the body and dry out the mucous membranes.

Once the nose becomes irritated, it produces excess mucus. That’s because the mucin glands are working overtime to overcompensate and cover up all the dry patches in your nasal passage. This can cause swelling of the mucous membranes and lead to congestion. During the winter, when the air is even drier and the heating is high, nasal congestion can get even worse. In a nutshell, our upper airway wants to always be moist.

Weakens the immune system

When we sleep with a fan, the mucous membranes can dry out. And without the right amount of mucus, we become more vulnerable to getting sick. Normally, our mucus provides a layer of protection so that no type of irritant or organism can penetrate. But once it dries, the mucosa becomes very easily penetrated.

To make matters worse, when the mucous membranes dry out and there is little mucus to moisten the skin, we can also start to get cracked noses. These small openings in the skin can become a gateway for bacteria to enter and cause further inflammation. Additionally, this dry, cracked skin can also cause unpleasant nosebleeds.

spread of germs

Sleeping with a fan not only weakens your nose’s defenses against possible infection, it can also spread existing germs.

If we share a room with someone who has a cold, the fan will move some of the viral particles around the room. The draft from a fan can carry a constant stream of pathogens while we sleep. Although viral diseases are not usually frequent in summer, we still have to be careful if we are sick.

dry out the skin

We already know that the whistling air from a fan can dry out mucous membranes. But it can also dry out your skin, especially in cold weather with hot, dry indoor air.

The fan absorbs moisture from the skin. This can even leave us a little dehydrated. That’s because when we sleep, we’re fasting (meaning we don’t drink any water), and using a fan only contributes to more fluid and moisture loss. Therefore, on hot nights it is normal to wake up thirsty or with a dry mouth.

Tips for using it correctly

Sleeping with a fan on is bad for us in certain contexts. But if we need it to rest peacefully, we can avoid its negative effects by trying these tactics:

• Keep the house clean . Cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming can decrease the amount of dust and dander in your home and reduce the amount of allergens that are blown by the fan. It is essential to also clean the fan, because the blades also accumulate dust. Still, cleaning alone will not solve the problem. It doesn’t matter if we clean every day; there will always be dust.
• Place a cup of water in front of the fan. This can help with the dehydration part. We can make it blow a little moisture. And in summer, we’ll try adding ice cubes for a cooling effect.
• Point it away from the face . It is recommended to aim a fan at the lower part of the body. In this way, we are not expelling allergens and irritants directly into the upper respiratory tract.
• Keep it at a distance. It is ideal to keep a fan at a distance of at least one or two meters from the face.
• Put it in a lower position . A high power fan will generate more allergens and dry more. Conversely, a fan on a low setting will probably do less damage this way.
• Use a humidifier . Having a humidifier in addition to a fan will help circulate moisture and lessen the drying effect.
• Keep the window closed (if outside air quality is poor). If we live in a high-traffic area (or anywhere else with poor outdoor air quality), it is not advisable to sleep with the window open when a fan is on.

Alternatives

For some people, such as those with severe allergies, sleeping with a fan can be very problematic. However, we can be sure of sleeping soundly without one with these expert-approved alternatives.

Air-conditioning

When it comes to your upper airways, sleeping with the air conditioning on is much better. Many air conditioners come with filters to block irritating contaminants.

Although air conditioners will not aggravate allergies, unfortunately, they are more harmful to the environment. To lessen the damage to the planet, we will keep the air conditioning on the lowest setting and at a reasonable temperature, and we will always use the energy saving mode. In addition, less electricity bill will be paid.

Sleep with less clothes

If we’re concerned about staying cool, sometimes the obvious solution is the best: we’ll consider sleeping naked, with fewer clothes or blankets. It is an ecological method and we will not waste electricity.

We can also sleep with fresh linen clothes and we will take a shower before bed. This will lower our body temperature and help us fall asleep quickly. Loose, soft clothing made of cotton, silk, or linen can help keep us cool. It is recommended to stay away from rayon, fleece, or polyester, which can promote warmth.

white noise generator

The main reason for using a fan might be to drown out unwanted nighttime noise, especially if we live on a busy city street. Fortunately, the hum of a fan is not the only option. We can buy a white noise machine or use a phone application that generates this type of noise.

In fact, we don’t even need to shell out a euro. On YouTube we can find six hours of white noise. We will only have to look for it on the phone and let ourselves be carried away by sleep.