In conclusion, not only is it okay to sleep with most types of plants in your bedroom; it may actually be beneficial! However, remember that every plant requires different care levels; ensure you choose ones that match your lifestyle and ability to care for them properly.
Aloe Vera is a popular indoor plant that produces oxygen 24 hours a day. It is easy to care for succulents with thick, fleshy leaves that are filled with a gel-like substance. Aloe Vera is known for its many medicinal properties and has been used for centuries to treat skin conditions, digestive issues, and more.
So, how many plants do you need to purify a room? You'd need 10 plants per square foot in your home to enjoy any impact on indoor air quality. Let's break that down: For a 320 square-foot room, you'd need 3,200 plants for that room alone.
According to NASA, chrysanthemums are among the best air-purifying houseplants as they remove most indoor pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. The flowering plant requires very little care, but it'll only stay alive for a few weeks indoors.
Snake Plant
These easy-care plants grow up to 12 feet high, allowing them to purify more air. Since the snake plant releases oxygen at night, it's an excellent addition to a bedroom.
There is a common urban myth that sleeping in a room with plants is dangerous and may even cause carbon dioxide poisoning or suffocation. However, this is nothing more than a myth. What is this? The process of respiration boils down to the simple intake of oxygen and expel of carbon dioxide.
Con: They can be messy
Placing them somewhere potentially awkward like your bedside table or close to electrical items could lead to problems if the plant should be knocked over. This is especially true if you keep pets at home. Remember their natural curiosity could lead to the occasional accident.
Why plants can throw off the energy in a bedroom, according to feng shui. "Since plants are really active and represent growth, they may not be great for such a passive, restful, quiet room," explains feng shui master and mbg class instructor Dana Claudat.
Patch Plants calls the snake plant “almost unkillable” on their site due to its ability to withstand extremely dry conditions with little water. They call the bedroom a superb location for this plant, thanks to its storage of oxygen during the day and release at night.
Consider feng shui plants like ferns with a soft and feathery structure or trailing plants like golden pothos. Flowering plants are also helpful, like orchids and peace lilies. Avoid plants with prickly or thorny structures which promote active and aggressive energy as these can interrupt peaceful sleep.
Plants can bring in life and nature energy. Some feng shui practitioners do not recommend plants in the bedroom because the wood element also has an aspect of upward and expansive energy. To understand this qi (life force energy), try visualizing a sprout unfurling and pushing out of its seed.
Spider Plant
A common carcinogen, formaldehyde, which is found in many household products, is removed by spider plants making it a perfect bedroom plant. Spider plants will also emit a lot of oxygen, helping you breathe more naturally in the evening while you sleep.
Peace lily, also known as Spathiphyllum, is the flagship plant for mass oxygen production. Recommended by NASA for its purifying capabilities, this plant also improves environmental humidity. According to the NASA report, it has been reported to absorb formaldehyde, xylene and toluene.
English Ivy: A Christmastime favorite that's a year-round keeper because it filters 78 percent of airborne mold in 12 hours. Dwarf Date Palm: Loves xylene and other pollutants. Boston Fern: Who hasn't owned a Boston Fern? Time to get another — its specialty is formaldehyde removal.
While technically both plants and purifiers clean the air, air purifiers are the obvious winner for literal air cleaning purposes. Considering the sheer amount of plants needed in your space to appreciably reduce VOC and indoor pollution levels, they can't be recommended.
Based on NASA's study, these are some of the best plants for air purification (in no particular order): Purple Waffle Plant (Hemigraphis exotica) Gerber Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) Boston Fern† (Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis)
Not only do indoor plants enhance the overall appearance of a space, but studies show they boost moods, increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants—making for a healthier, happier you. Indoor plants don't just look good—they can make us feel good, too.
They found that in just 24 hours, up to 87% of the formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene was removed from the air by the leaves and roots of the plants, while oxygen was returned to the room. Bottom-line: common, low-light houseplants absorbed toxins and helped purify the air! … Or so we thought.
According to NASA's Clean Air Study, the Snake Plant is so effective in producing oxygen that if you were locked in a sealed room with no airflow (yikes!), you would be able to survive with just 6-8 plants in it. NASA recommends 15 to 18 medium-to-large size plants for a 1,800 square-foot home for optimum air quality.