Place two or three ice cubes into a glass, add water and stir. Wait three to four minutes. If moisture does not form on the outside of the glass, the air is too dry; you may need a humidifier. If water has condensed on the outside of the glass, the level of relative humidity is high.
First try a hygrometer, which is like a thermometer, except it measures moisture levels rather than temperature. Your home should sit somewhere between 30 and 50 percent humidity. If it's measuring below 30 percent, you may need to invest in a humidifier to remedy the dry air symptoms.
While it may seem counterintuitive, it is actually helpful to open the windows and remove the stale, dry air from your house. Open windows during the daytime to let the fresh air in. It will help you breathe easy, and your skin won't feel that dry and itchy. Plus, it will also improve your home air quality.
During the summer, the warmer air holds moisture but during the winter months cold dry outside air infiltrates the house and couple that with the fact that we heat our homes causing hot air to rise and the dry colder air to settle into the lower areas of your house. This is what causes the house to feel so dry.
Using a hygrometer is the easiest way to measure the humidity in your home. The device measures humidity and temperature and is easy to use as a simple thermometer.
Breathing dry air can cause respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and nosebleeds. Breathing dry air also can cause dehydration since body fluids are depleted during respiration. “Your sinuses will dry out,” says family medicine physician Daniel Allan, MD.
Too little humidity isn't good for sleep either. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. Air that is dry can lead irritated nasal passages, sneezing, coughing, itchy throat and may even increase suffering from colds and other viruses. This in turn can lead to more snoring and makes sleeping difficult.
Prevailing wisdom is that at least 5 minutes—and ideally 15 to 20 minutes—a day of ventilation significantly improves indoor air quality. For a strong ventilation, open the front and back door, along with windows on the path in between, to get the baddies out.
To do that, launch the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Click on Climate towards the top left. This will reveal the current temperature and humidity levels. Alternatively, you can ask Siri about their values.
The ideal relative humidity level for maximum comfort and health is between 40% and 50%, and anything below 30% is considered too dry. Humidity levels naturally drop along with outdoor temperatures as cold air can't hold the same amount of moisture as warm air.
When humidity levels are extremely low, you lose more water vapor through respiration and the pores in your skin. This can cause chronic dry skin, chapped lips, a scratchy throat, and an itchy nose.
Why does dry air cause nasal congestion? Dry air is directly related to nasal congestion because it influences the consistency of mucus in your nasal passages. The drier the air, the drier your mucus becomes, and the less the mucus will be able to flow as usual.
Using the Barometer & Altimeter App
Barometer and Altimeter is a free Android app that reports the temperature and humidity using your Android's built-in sensors. If your Android does not have built-in sensors, the app uses your GPS to find the temperature and humidity based on a nearby weather station.
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.
While damp cannot be reduced by opening windows, it can help to reduce the humidity levels in your property to make sure that condensation is not a common occurrence.
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.
So how often should you open your windows? It's recommended that you do so once a day, for at least five minutes. Fifteen to 20 minutes is preferable. However, when you open them is also important.
If the humidity level outside is much above 65%, you are usually much better off keeping your windows closed at night and using your AC instead. The reason is that opening your windows allows all of that humid air to get inside the house and soak into your furnishings.
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.