Scientists Say Sleeping With A Fan On Can Be Bad For Your Health, Here’s What Happens
Are you one of those people who can't sleep in the summertime without a fan blowing in the bedroom? Personally, I like to sleep with a fan so my room doesn't get super stuffy at night. Yet, I was today years old when I discovered that it's probably not the best idea to leave a fan blowing on your body all night long.
Why? Well, other than being a fire hazard, it turns out it can cause dry skin and eyes and even worsen allergies, among other negative side effects. Keep reading to learn the truth about sleeping with your fan on at night.
Fans Are A Great Way To Help You Cool Down
A portable fan doesn't blow cool air as AC does, but fans can help you keep cool in the summer heat by providing some airflow.
Sometimes serious heat needs serious fans, or maybe you just need some circulation in a particularly stuffy room.
However, They Can Be Hazardous
As a fan lover and connoisseur myself, I usually have at least two fans blowing in my room at all times—especially in the summer.
But here are a couple of reasons why fans can pose a hazard to your body.
It Can Worsen Allergies
According to Sleep Advisor, sleeping with a fan on can make your allergies worse.
"As a fan moves air around the room, it causes flurries of dust and pollen to make their way into your sinuses. If you're prone to allergies, asthma, and hay fever, this could stir up a whole lot of trouble," Sleep Advisor explained.
It Can Blow Dust All Over The Place
If your fan is dirty or dusty, you should definitely consider cleaning that bad boy.
Sleep Advisor recommends that you take a close look at your fan every once in a while. If it's been collecting dust on the blades, those particles are flying through the air every time you turn it on.
Dry Skin And Eyes
Another downside to sleeping with a fan is it can cause dry air, which can lead to issues with your skin, eyes, and mouth. A constant blast of air on your body may cause your skin to dry out over time.
Maybe all this time my fan has been the culprit of my chronically dry skin...
Eye Irritation
Additionally, Sleep Advisor explains that another thing to think about is that some people sleep with their eyes partially open. I'll never forget when I was a kid and I looked over at my friend who seemingly slept with her eyes only HALF-CLOSED.
A fan could dry your eyes overnight and may cause major irritation.
Dry Mouths And Throats
Some people also sleep with their mouth open, which could potentially lead to dry mouth and throat.
So, if you find that you're constantly waking up parched in the middle of the night, maybe it's time to reconsider your fan habits.
Sometimes They're Just Permanently Dirty
Lastly, sometimes your fan is just too far gone and may be too difficult to clean.
If your device gets an excess buildup of pollen and particles that are impossible to remove, it may be time to get a new one.
A Fire Hazard
Also, not to scare anyone, but according to Bustle, there's always a small possibility with any electrical device that it can get too hot and catch fire.
This is especially dangerous when you're asleep as your reaction time may be delayed. Also, we are more susceptible to smoke inhalation whilst unconscious.
There Are Other Methods To Keep Cool
There are lots of other methods to keep cool during the summer (other than AC) if you have now decided to reconsider blasting your fan at night like I have.
For example, you could fill a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer for a while, then keep it close to (but separated with a sheet from) your body as you sleep, or you could line your bed with a large cooling mat.
Researchers Recommend A Relaxing Shower Or Bath
It's no secret that relaxing before bedtime will help you fall asleep faster. However, several studies indicate that showers and baths, specifically, improve sleep quality. In 2019, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin discovered that taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime helped people fall asleep faster and have a better quality of sleep.
Alternatively, researchers in 2008 added that soaking your feet in a foot bath for 40 minutes before bed increases REM sleep. If you don't want to fall asleep with wet hair, consider employing a foot bath, hairdryer, or early evening shower.
Don't Drink Coffee After 4 P.M.
Not drinking coffee in the evening may sound obvious, but many people underestimate how long caffeine remains active in the body. The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine issued a 2013 study which illustrated that participants who drank coffee six hours before bed experienced "important disruptive effects on sleep."
Caffeine can remain in the blood for six to eight hours. If you want to hit the hay relatively early, limit your caffeine consumption to the morning or early afternoon. Should you crave coffee in the evening, drink a decaffeinated blend.
Limit Your Nap Time
In 2012, scientists from Physiology & Behavior observed that research participants who took frequent naps felt sleepier during the day and had increased slow-wave sleep (SWS). Napping for too long can mess up your circadian rhythm, which leads to lower-quality sleep at night: SWS.
How long is too long? Researchers determined in a 2006 study that people who take naps for less than 30 minutes felt more awake, while those who slept longer than 30 minutes during the day resulted in "a loss of productivity and sleep inertia."
But You CAN Take Naps And Sleep Well At Night
Although some sources claim that taking any nap will mix up your circadian rhythm, research demonstrates that the effect of napping varies per individual. In 2008, researchers of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society observed over 100 insomniac participants who took either daytime or nighttime naps. They found that some volunteers slept better with an evening nap, whereas others slept better after an afternoon nap.
"Napping does not negatively affect sleep," states a 1995 Dutch research study. "Consequently, the assumption on which the advice against napping is based is wrong." Understand your own circadian rhythm and adjust to it.
Get In And Out Of Bed At Consistent Times
Remaining consistent with your bedtime and waking time aids sleep because your body learns when to produce the appropriate hormones. Research in the 2002 Journal of Sleep Research followed over 6,000 adolescents and concluded that irregular sleep patterns lead to impaired attention, lower achievement, and worse sleep at night.
A later 2009 study in BioMed Central recorded the correlation: the more irregular your sleeping schedule, the fewer hours you'll sleep overall. Even sleeping in late during the weekend impacted participants' schedules enough to disrupt the week's sleep. If possible, aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Keep Your Phone Away From Your Bed
If you huddle in bed and scroll through your phone, you're relaxing, right? A 2015 study by Harvard researchers begs to differ. Research participants who used their phone in bed felt more awake than when they were out of bed and fell asleep at least ten minutes later than those without a phone.
The researchers also noted that those who used their phones before bed felt more groggy upon waking. If you need to, charge your phone on the other side of the room.
Trust In Your Morning/Night Person Habits
Sleep scientists have accepted that people naturally gravitate toward "morning person" or "night person." HHS Public Access published an analysis of these schedules in 2009 which confirmed that morning people feel active and awake two hours earlier than night people.
The researchers asserted that morning/night preference did not depend on gender, sex, employment, or race, although older people tend to gravitate towards mornings. Sleep schedules between the two sleeping types could vary between three to five hours. If you're a night person, don't struggle to adapt to a morning person's schedule, and vice-versa.
Exercising Regularly Enhances Sleep
Exercising during the day enhances overnight sleep so much that researchers highly recommend it for insomniacs. "We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality," says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital.
Research in an issue of Sleep Medicine clarified that aerobic activity, which consists of running, walking, or cycling, increases deep sleep and length of rest. Other studies do not specify what kind of exercise helped the most. We do know, from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, that any consistent workout reduces the time needed to fall asleep by 55%.
Yes, You Can Even Work Out Late At Night
Exercise does stimulate alertness and active hormones. But although many recommend not working out at night, several studies disprove that idea. For instance, students analyzed by Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences illustrated that hitting the gym in the morning, evening, and late evening all had the same health effects.
Scientists writing for the 2011 Journal of Sleep Research recorded that "late-night exercise does not disturb sleep quality," but it "may have effects on cardiac autonomic control of the heart during the first sleeping hours." If you have a heart condition, then this route may not be for you.
And...Alcohol Disturbs Your Sleep
Like coffee, drinking alcohol late can disrupt your sleep, but for different reasons. Alcohol consumption increases sleep apnea and breathing obstructions, according to The New York Times. Several studies have also tested that ethanol in alcohol disrupts melatonin production.
As well, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that you'll likely have to wake up to use the bathroom throughout the night. If you drink at night, limit it to one glass to preserve your sleep.
