Leaving your humidifier running at night time has numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being. You'll have much better sleep, less infection risk, and moisturized skin. A better sleep experience: When your humidifier is switched on while you sleep at night, it maintains the room humidity.
How Long Should You Run a Humidifier at Night? You can run a humidifier throughout the night, which is typically about 8 hours. This is particularly beneficial if the air in your room is dry, or if you're experiencing dry throat, skin, or respiratory symptoms.
Your humidifier run time is typically about 10 to 15 minutes, which is the average length of a heating cycle. If you notice condensation on windows or surfaces indoors over the winter, this is an indicator that there is too much humidity and you will want to adjust to prevent excess moisture.
The humidifier can safely run all night, putting much needed moisture back into your child's room. Your baby will sleep much better with a little extra relief in the air, and you'll get better sleep, too!
Never use in an enclosed space — leave bedroom doors open.
The short answer is yes: it is healthy to sleep with a humidifier in your room. Sleeping with a humidifier can have several health benefits, even if you don't have asthma.
That's because having an open window will be counterproductive, even if the temperature is mild. Moisture-rich air created by the humidifier will likely escape through the window, while dry air will probably enter the home. As a result, it could be challenging to maintain appropriate humidity levels.
Overall, humidifiers are safe to keep overnight when you're asleep. It's beneficial and helpful in many ways. It'll help your skin, lowers infection risk, and you'll sleep better at night.
The best place for a humidifier in your bedroom is the center. Preferably, it should be 3 feet away from your bed. You can also use a hygrometer to measure the humidity levels in different spots in your room and then place it where the numbers are quite low.
The humidifier can operate for up to 24 hours on the lowest setting, and automatically shuts off when the tank is empty. This Vicks Cool Mist Humidifier utilizes Ultrasonic Technology for whisper-quiet operation that won't disturb sleep and it has an optional color changing nightlight.
If you're monitoring the humidity levels in your home, it's relatively safe to run your humidifier around the clock. You should take special care not to leave anything running while you're out of the house.
Turn Off Humidifier After Heating Season:
A central air conditioner will not cool or dehumidify properly if the humidifier is running. So please remember to turn your humidifier off at the end of each heating season.
Best Humidity for Sleeping
The best relative humidity for sleeping and other indoor activities has been debated. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the best indoor relative humidity falls between 30% and 50%, and it should never exceed 60%. Other studies suggest 40% to 60% is a better range.
Apart from the health benefits in the summer and winter, some people find that they simply sleep better with a humidifier running at night. Why is this? First, because maintaining the optimal humidity level increases your overall comfort when trying to fall asleep. It can help ease an itchy, irritated throat.
Many people automatically use tap water in a humidifier as it is easy and accessible but this does not come recommended by manufacturers. This is because tap water contains many invisible minerals, including magnesium, which can create buildup in your humidifier, resulting in limescale and mould.
It is best to place the humidifier at least 3 feet away from your bed. This is to avoid being directly exposed to too much moisture and to allow the moisture to be distributed evenly around the room.
The higher up off the floor the humidifier is placed the better. It produces a mist that has to get mixed with the air. When the humidifier is placed on the floor, the mist has no chance to get mixed with the air and it causes wet floors. Try to put it on a nightstand or a table.
Humidifiers are prone to spilling water and leaking. To prevent damaging your floor, you should keep a humidifier elevated off the floor. Pets or kids can easily knock the humidifier over if it's placed on the floor.
Using a humidifier in the home can help relieve a stuffy nose and can help break up mucus so you can cough it up. Humidified air can relieve the discomfort of colds and the flu.
A humidifier is a necessity during the winter because the heated air from a furnace is dry. That dry air has a low humidity level that will absorb moisture from you and everything inside your home.
If you plan to use your humidifier through the night, consider a humidifier with at least 8 hours of run time. If you plan to run your humidifier through the day, consider a humidifier with longer run times to reduce the frequency of tank refills.
If you have an older humidifier that doesn't shut off automatically, it may continue to run without water. In most cases, this simply blows air into the room with no added moisture. A humidifier without auto-shutoff could overheat. If this happens, the circuitry may burn or the motor may become damaged.
Dirty humidifiers can especially cause problems for people with asthma and allergies. But even in healthy people, dirty humidifiers have the potential to trigger flu-like symptoms or even lung infections when the contaminated mist or steam is released into the air.