“Cool air from an open window can help people breathe better, unless the air is very dry,” Dr. Benninger says. Fans also can dry the air, but the soothing white noise may lead to better sleep. “I suggest facing the fan away from you.
Maintain a consistent room temperature.
Dry air can worsen your cold symptoms and parch your nose and throat. Use a humidifier to keep the air moist or open up a window for fresh cool air – just don't let the snow in.
Many people like sleeping in a cool room, but don't make it so cold that you wake up shivering in the middle of the night. When you're feeling sick, you might want to consider raising the temperature a little, rather than letting the thermostat drop. Just don't forget to change it back when you're feeling better.
Ventilation is most important if someone in your household has COVID-19, or when you have visitors in your home. Opening windows and doors is the easiest way of improving ventilation. Also open any window vents or grilles. Opening windows at opposite sides of the room or home is a good way of changing the air.
The air current won't automatically cause a sore throat, and you can still wake up with a cough even with a closed window. It all depends on the quality of the air. For instance, letting in some cool air from outside during the night can help you breathe more easily and help you relax.
If you experience a sore throat when the window is open, there are several solutions you can try to find relief: Keep Windows Closed: If you are prone to throat irritation, it may be best to keep the windows closed, especially during high pollen seasons or when the air quality is poor.
Keeping a window open reduced concentration of carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and some particulate matter in participant bedrooms. People slept better. Keeping a door open also reduced carbon dioxide concentration, without a direct correlation to improving sleep.
Sleeping with the window open in the winter can also positively impact your overall health. Fresh air has been shown to boost the immune system and improve overall health. In fact, some research has even suggested that sleeping in a room with fresh air can help reduce the risk of colds and flu.
“Sleeping with a fan on is unlikely to make you sick,” Han says. “However, it can indirectly cause increased respiratory and allergy symptoms in people who are sensitive to dry air or allergens.” For people with asthma, sleeping with a fan can lead to increased coughing or wheezing.
Best Time for Open Windows
Researchers have found out that the best time to open the window and leave off the AC is when the outside temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity levels are low. This keeps the room cool during the night, which ultimately saves money.
Getting extra sleep when you're sick doesn't just give you a few hours of respite from unpleasant symptoms: Sleep is like medicine for the immune system, ultimately helping you make a full recovery from an illness. “Sleep is the only time of anyone's day or night where we have restoration processes happening.
Sleep on your side with your head elevated to encourage digestion and drain mucus. Sleep on your back with your head raised to comfort head cold symptoms like runny nose, postnasal drip and more.
Elevating the head while sleeping may help relieve congestion. View Source that contributes to throat pain from excess mucus drainage.
The fan is a cost-effective way to keep you cool during the hot and humid summer nights. But sleeping with the fan on may trigger congestion, dryness, sore muscles, or allergic reactions in some people. If you have allergies but sleep hot, try using air filters and humidifiers to reduce symptoms of allergies.
Avoid moving air – Turn off your ceiling fan and redirect your heater or air conditioner vents if they blow air toward your face while you're lying in bed. Try using a humidifier – If the air in your bedroom is too dry, a humidifier might help your cough.
Ceiling fans can be the best option to sleep with to relax your body and brain instead of an AC or cooler. However, an AC or cooler can be tempting but isn't the best option for your health. But sleeping with a fan on is always a better option as it provides us with natural sleep and several benefits.
“In short, open windows when the temperature inside the house becomes greater than the external temperature, otherwise keep the windows closed,” he explains. Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist and sleep expert at bed retailer And So To Bed agrees that it's best to keep windows closed where you can.
While sleeping with socks has its benefits, that doesn't mean that it's bad to sleep barefoot. Sleeping sockless won't negatively impact your health, but as discussed above, if you have insomnia, Raynaud's syndrome or menopausal night sweats, wearing socks could help alleviate some of your symptoms.
When dealing with a heatwave people should generally keep their windows open at night - if it is cooler outside than inside the bedroom. During the night, there is a greater chance of the temperatures being cooler outsider which sees the cool air flow into the bedroom.
Close Before You Doze. Here's why it works: Fires spread more quickly the more oxygen they have. Keeping your bedroom door closed can slow the spread of a house fire, as well as reduce toxic smoke levels. Having the right kind of fire extinguisher nearby can help.
Deeper sleep
Sleeping in a colder room can improve your sleep quality and even help you combat insomnia episodes. Scientists link this to the fact that our body temperature naturally drops at night. Hence, the metabolism rate slows down, and we spend less energy during sleep.
Opening up your bedroom windows at night, like opening your bedroom door, can help you to regulate temperature better and offer you cleaner air with fewer dust particles and carbon dioxide build up – offering you a better night's sleep. You should, therefore, always open your bedroom windows to sleep when possible.