As spring makes way for summer, it’s about time your fan gets into action. The soothing air from your fan dries sweat and cools you down, but is sleeping with a fan on bad for health?
The constant breeze may impact the health of some people, while for others sleeping with the fan on enhances comfort. In this article, we discuss how sleeping with a fan can affect your health, ways to tackle the downsides of keeping the fan on, and why using a fan is still beneficial for many people.
Most people enjoy the cooling and comfortable breeze of a fan. But excess wind makes the air dry. When you sleep, this dry air may affect your breathing, causing sleep disruptions.
Using a fan at night can even aggravate your allergies, making you uncomfortable throughout the night. Below, we list 4 disadvantages of sleeping with the fan on.
Along with air, fans also circulate dust, dust mites, spores, pollen, and other allergens in the room. Inhaling these allergens could trigger reactions such as excessive sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, and breathing difficulties. If you are prone to asthma, allergies, and hay fever, these indoor allergens may worsen your symptoms.
Allergen accumulation is also one of the disadvantages of old mattresses, so if you keep the fan on it’s wise to protect it with an allergen-proof protector.
Leaving the fan on can dry out your nose and throat. Excessive dryness triggers the overproduction of mucus, causing sinusitis, headaches, and a stuffy nose.
To alleviate the dryness, you can drink some water, but waking up to drink over and over interrupts sleep.
If you sleep near a fan, the air from the fan can dry your eyes out. Your eyes may open slightly and occasionally as you sleep, and the air flow may dry them out, causing you to wake up with dry eyes.
A constant blast of air may also cause dry skin and irritation. Using moisturizers at bedtime as part of a nighttime skin routine may tackle the problem to some extent. Eye drops meant to relieve itchy or dry eyes can also mitigate irritation.
Cold air circulating close to you can cause muscle contractions. If you already have pre-existing muscle pain, it may worsen when you sleep with the fan on. The concentrated flow of cool air makes muscles tense up and cramp.
Sleeping with the air conditioner on at night can cause the same problem. To prevent waking up sore, it’s best to set your room temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you sleep with the air conditioning on, try to avoid setting up your bed in a spot where the air will be directly blowing on you.
While how much noise a fan makes varies by model, it’s unlikely you’ll have one that’s whisper-quiet. For some the white noise can be soothing, using the fan to block out noise while sleeping.
However, others may find the sound distracting and that it keeps them from easily falling asleep. Whether or not background noise like a fan running helps you fall asleep may take a little bit of experimention.
Though sleeping with the fan on may be bad for your health, there are ways to minimize its negative effects. The fan’s speed and distance from you determine its degree of impact on your health. Keeping the fan further away from you or setting a timer can prevent nasal congestion, headaches, muscle aches, and eye dryness.
As the name suggests, a rotating fan prevents the constant flow of air in one direction, instead circulating air in a rolling wave pattern. This type of fan is also called an oscillating fan, which makes it more clear that the head moves from side to side and it’s not simply the blades that are rotating.
The fan moves on a set track, shifting back and forth for a wave effect instead of pushing air directly forward in a straight line. Evenly distributed airflow keeps you cool while potentially preventing stiff neck, muscle aches, dry nose, mouth, and eyes.
You can set a timer on the fan so it turns off an hour or a couple of hours after your bedtime. It eliminates the risk of a cold breeze blowing throughout the night, which can leave you feeling uncomfortable. Setting a timer can also keep you from using electricity the entire night, decreasing your bill.
Even if your fan does not have a built-in timer, you can look into plug-in timers that are designed to shut off electronics after a certain period of time.
When you’ve got a little mini plug-in fan that you can set up anywhere, it’s best not to put it on your nightstand beside the bed. Having these breeze blasting directly into your face at such a distance
Instead, if you keep the fan 2 to 3 feet away, the concentrated airflow won’t affect you as much but will still help keep you cool. You’ll have a light breezy sleeping environment instead of a gust of air blowing directly on you.
If you sleep with the ceiling fan on, keep the fan on a moderate speed to prevent excessive dryness.
Air filters in the room can reduce the circulation of dust mites, spores, and other allergens. Using one may be beneficial for those prone to allergies or sleepers living with asthma, along with other natural remedies for seasonal allergies.
Sleeping with an air purifier can not only keep your bedroom free of allergens and other irritants, but it can also ensure it maintains a clean, fresh smell.
To minimize the way a fan can dry out the skin, nose, throat, mouth, and eyes, set a bowl of water in front of it. This trick can add moisture to the air in front of the fan, ensuring the fan isn’t just pushing dry air your way. During the summer, you can slip some ice cubes into the bowl to keep the water cold, further cooling down your room while using less energy.
Alternatively, you can try draping a wet cloth over the fan. Make sure you wring out excess water first, as you want a mildly damp towel and not one that is sopping wet. As the fan blows air through the damp towel, the moisture will circulate and cool the room. When trying to sleep during a heatwave, you can hang similarly soggy towels in front of the doors and windows to better cool down the room.
It’s difficult to imagine a hot and humid summer without a fan at night. You need a fan to keep you cool when the temperatures soar.
“The ambient temperature plays an important role in sleep,” says Dr. Nayantara Santhi. “Humans are physiologically wired to sleep at night which is the coolest time of the day.”
“Not surprisingly a cooler temperature facilitates sleep. Did you know that your core body temperature is also lower during sleep than during waking hours? Furthermore, the circadian rhythm of your core body temperature reaches its lowest during the night. So keeping the room cool at night will enhance your sleep.”
To reap the benefits of the cool air while minimizing the downsides, keep your fan at a distance and on medium speed.
Though a fan isn’t as effective as an air conditioner, it consumes less energy. You can save on electricity bills during the summer months by using your fan instead of the air conditioner.
To make the air from your fan even cooler, you can freeze a few water bottles throughout the day and keep them on a tray in front of the fan at bedtime. The air passing over these freezing water bottles brings a cool breeze much like an air conditioner. Though you may not feel the cool breeze through the night, it can last up to a couple of hours.
Hot sleepers tend to wake up sweating. Disturbed sleep leads to daytime drowsiness, affecting productivity. Sleeping with the fan on at night prevents overheating. Even if you sweat at night, the breeze dries away excess moisture, keeping you cool and comfortable while you sleep.
People often prefer to keep their windows closed because they don’t want to invite pollen and other allergens from outside. Without an open door or windows, your room feels stuffy because there’s no air movement.
Turning the fan on promotes air circulation in the room. Constant circulation of air throughout the night helps in maintaining a breezy and comfortable sleep environment.
Approximately 2500 infants die of SIDS every year in the United States, making SIDS the third leading cause of infant mortality. High temperatures and increased carbon dioxide levels in the room increase the risk of SIDS. According to some studies, keeping the fan on may help prevent SIDS. Circulation of air lowers room temperature and decreases the concentration of carbon dioxide, addressing some of the causes of SIDS.
You may not choose to sleep with the fan on if the dry air causes you to feel uncomfortable or disrupts your sleep. But there are other measures to reduce heat while sleeping. You can follow these steps, with or without the fan, for a cooler sleeping environment.
Curtains block sunlight, keeping your room cool. So if you want to promote a sleep-inducing environment with a cool, dark bedroom, we suggest choosing a nice set of curtains.
Lighter-colored curtains are preferred because they reflect heat. Darker shades tend to absorb and trap heat. See our guide to the best and worst bedroom colors.
Memory foam mattresses with cooling technologies, such as plant-based memory foam, gel memory foam, or latex foam may feature heat-wicking additives like copper or graphite. Innerspring and hybrid beds promote airflow within the mattress, keeping you cool too.
Breathable sheets made with materials such as cotton, bamboo, and Tencel® are beneficial for hot sleepers as well. They wick away moisture and don’t trap heat.
Taking a warm shower before bed causes your body to heat up, and once you step out of the shower, your body naturally cools down. This process of cooling keeps you comfortable and makes you fall asleep faster.
Wearing loose clothes leave room for your muscles to relax as you sleep, while a breathable fabric ensures your clothes don’t trap heat.
As a healthy alternative to sleeping with the fan on, you can try any one of our Amerisleep mattresses. Our beds feature plant-based oils, making them cooler than other mattresses. Our hybrid mattresses allow for even better airflow than our memory foam mattresses since they contain a layer of individually wrapped coils at the base.
Our mattress covers are made of a soft, breathable, and absorbent material to wick away heat and moisture, keeping you cool and comfortable. The Bio-Pur® material in the top comfort layer conforms to your body, providing pressure-point relief. You can choose from one of five different firmness levels to suit your comfort.
Aside from their cooling abilities, our beds are also some top-notch hypoallergenic mattresses, perfect for anyone with asthma or allergies who’s looking to improve their sleep.
“Not surprisingly, it is not just the room temperature but also the temperature regulation of our mattress that is important,” says Dr. Santhi. “A breathable cool mattress like the Amerisleep memory foam mattress or light and airy sheets are a helpful way of maintaining a conducive temperature for sleep.”
All our mattresses are manufactured in the United States, and they come with a risk-free 100-night trial. We offer a 20-year warranty, covering defects and sagging greater than an inch. That way, you can rest assured that you’re getting exactly the sleep you want and need for decades to come. No need to worry about buyer’s remorse.
Save $450 on the Amerisleep Mattresses with our discount codeShop NowHow do you keep your house cool? If you’re like most people, you switch on the AC and maybe open a window or two. But there’s another way to bring in the breeze. Ceiling fans are ideal for keeping things comfortable without running up your utility bill. Here are 10 reasons the answer to “Are ceiling fans worth it?” is “Absolutely yes!”
1. Distribute air throughout your home
Want to keep the warm or cool air flowing throughout your home? Ceiling fans help evenly distribute air flowing from your AC unit. During the summer, run your fans counter-clockwise and then switch to clockwise for the winter.
2. Enjoy a steady breeze
Improve the temperature of your home with a ceiling fan. Running a fan on a regular basis will keep your home comfortable and airy.
3. Lower utility bills
Tired of cranking that AC up all summer long? Ceiling fans are more efficient than HVAC units. Running your fan can reduce your home’s temperature by as much as 8 degrees. That adds up to big savings on your monthly utility bill!
4. Better lighting
Ceiling fans bring in extra lighting to your home. This is especially useful in spaces that are on the darker side. You can look for ceiling fans with multiple bulbs to brighten up your space.
5. Technology
Today’s ceiling fans are not the same as those from decades past. Many come equipped with a remote control so you can operate it from afar. You’ll also find sleeker blades, LED chips, and timers.
6. Quieter operation (especially compared to air conditioners)
Ceiling fans are no longer the noisy appliances of years past. While you may have been able to hear the ceiling fan going in the next room decades ago, today they’re much quieter. Today’s fans are so quiet you won’t even know they’re running until you feel the cool breeze.
7. Contemporary styling
No need to settle for clunky, oversized fans. You’ll find plenty of options on the market today, including brushed nickel, walnut, and soft white. (Just to name a few!)
8. Better for the environment
With a ceiling fan, you can reduce your reliance on your HVAC system. Research indicates they can reduce energy usage by 40% in the summer and 10% in the winter. That’s a definite win for the environment!
9. Small footprint in your home
One of the nice things about ceiling fans is they don’t take up living space like a tower fan or space heater. Chances are you aren’t as worried about using ceiling space.
10. Perfect for indoor and outdoor spaces
Cool breezes shouldn’t be limited to just the indoors. Ceiling fans are one of the most effective ways to cool your outdoor living spaces. They’re great for shooing the bugs away too!
No one wants to deal with a stuffy, uncomfortable living space. Ceilings fans bring in the breeze to interior and exterior spaces efficiently. You’ll love how comfortable they keep your home, no matter the season. At Hauslane, you’ll find a number of contemporary ceiling fans that match your home’s aesthetic and create the airy, breezy feel you’re looking for.