As long as your fan is clean, sleeping with it on generally does not cause serious health problems. But fans circulate air that may dry your nose and throat and trigger other uncomfortable symptoms. Keeping your home clean and free of dust is one of many ways to help prevent those issues.
Triggers allergies
The main reason you shouldn't be sleeping with a fan on is because it can trigger allergies. As a fan circulates the air around the room to give that cooling effect, it also moves dust, pollen, spores and other allergens around the room which can find its way into your sinuses.
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.
The main reason we rely on a trusty fan to get a good night's sleep is less about temperature and more about white noise. White noise essentially works to mask the difference between background sounds and “peak” sounds (such as an ambulance siren or a door slamming) to maintain more consistency in your environment.
A fan's housing will get warm after prolonged use due to the fan's motor generating heat when converting electricity into movement. This heat is why many people think it is unsafe to leave fans running; however, it is normal and will dissipate from the fan's housing and not exceed a safe limit.
It can cause a stiff neck or sore muscles
If you suffer from any pre-existing muscle pain you should hold back from directing the electric fan on this area throughout the night. “This is because the concentrated cool air can make your muscles tense and cramp up, causing you even more pain,” Seeley says.
But there's also another reason, the noise. "For a lot of people, it's the fact that the fan creates white noise, which blocks out other noises," Sleep Health Foundation chair and sleep psychologist, professor Dorothy Bruck said. "White noise acts as a noise reduction and noise cancellation.
The best room temperature for sleep is approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius). This may vary by a few degrees from person to person, but most doctors recommend keeping the thermostat set between 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius) for the most comfortable sleep.
Many people report waking up with a stiff neck after having cool air blow on them for the night, such as from a fan, vent, or open window.
"A fan can cause your nasal passages and mouth to lose precious moisture through evaporation, drying them out." The constant blast of air on your body can certainly leave you more dehydrated than usual. "Some people often sleep with their eyes partially open, so their eyes can dry out," Dr. Sarin says.
Wet hair when sleeping also can cause damage to follicles and result in hair breakage. Skin conditions: Hair follicles under the skin clogged up with sebum or oil can result in acne. As wet hair harbors bacteria, this can also impact the growth of bacteria in the pores.
What Is An Unhealthy Room Temperature? For babies, pets, and the elderly, or for those who suffer from respiratory, lung, or heart disease, anything below 68 degrees and anything above 74 degrees for a prolonged period of time can cause serious health concerns.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18 to 21 degrees celsius during winter. And The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees is the ideal temperature for healthy and well-dressed people. Both agree this is also the ideal temperature for sleeping.
How cold is too cold? Below 13° - If your home is this cold, it may increase your blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease. 14-15° - If your home is this cold, you may be diminishing your resistance to respiratory diseases. 18° - This is the recommended night time bedroom temperature.
Often, having a 'standby' sound keep your brain company as you fall asleep is better than silence because silence is more easily and effectively broken with random sounds. When you have sounds playing, the interruption is less noticeable and may not interrupt your sleep at all.
Americans also perform all kinds of rituals to get a good night's sleep. Top rituals include: sleeping with a fan or white noise machine (28 percent), taking a hot bath or shower before bed (26 percent) and reading a relaxing book (21 percent).
Studies suggest that cool airflow across the face — from room air delivered under pressure or using a fan — can reduce breathlessness at rest. Fan therapy in patients with chronic breathlessness has helped control breathing at rest, but whether it can benefit COPD patients during exercise is unknown.
According to Uswitch, a typical 120w pedestal fan costs an average of 3.4p an hour to run. This means that leaving it on between 10:00pm and 8:00am will cost around 33p in energy costs.
It can result in a buildup in your sinuses and even trigger asthma attacks or similar allergy problems. And the cooler air can also dry out your skin and eyes. Stiffness and headaches are also symptoms from sleeping overnight with a fan. It can even cause earache if it is a loud fan.
Less frequent starts and stops of the fan can reduce the stress from startup, and potentially help extend its lifespan. Leaving the fan on 24/7 ensures cleaner air, as the air is pulled through the filtration or UV light system. This can be better for people with allergies.
Most fans are designed for about 30,000-50,000 hours of continuous use – or 3.5-6 years. However, this does not mean that all fans will last the same amount of time. A case fan, for example, will likely last for 5-6 years where as a laptop fan may last closer to 10 years.
A ceiling fan does not actually lower the overall temperature in a room, but it can definitely make a space feel cooler. Ceiling fans primarily work through something called a wind chill effect. Essentially, the moving air across your skin helps to evaporate sweat at a faster rate.
Cold air inflames lungs and inhibits circulation, increasing the risk of respiratory conditions, such as asthma attacks or symptoms, worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and infection.