Getting good sleep is essential for optimal health, productivity, and your overall mood. Many people keep their bedrooms cozy, silent, and dark but still cannot get good sleep. Believe it or not, the quality of air in your bedroom affects the quality of your sleep.
If you have had coughs, wheezing, headaches, nasal congestion, and sore throat at night, it could be because of the contaminated air in your bedroom.
To sleep better, you should remove contaminants from your indoors. These include dust, allergens, smoke, odours, mould spores, gases, and dangerous chemicals. The sooner you realize this, the earlier you get an air purifier for your bedroom or install a whole-house air purifier.
Can you sleep with an air purifier on?
Air purifiers function the same way at night as during the day. Air purification should be a continuous process. Turning off your purifier at night could result in the build-up of air contaminants, affecting your sleep.
As long as the air purifier is designed to function 24/7, it is safe to keep it on overnight. However, there are several things to consider when using an air purifier for your bedroom:
Contaminants
The kind of contaminants in your bedroom will determine the air purifier you are going to use. If your primary pollutants are allergens and dust, an air purifier with a HEPA or True HEPA filter will work best for you.
On the other hand, if you have an issue with odours and chemicals, invest in an air purifier with activated carbon or charcoal to neutralize odours. However, ensure that the purifier has a HEPA filter as well so that it can take care of other pollutants.
Noise and indicator light
Air purifier fans produce noise as they help to draw in dirty air into the purifier. Some people find this noise calming and soothing and help them sleep comfortably, while others cannot stand any noise at night.
Besides, some air purifiers have LED lights that indicate the air quality in real-time. However, such bright lights can disrupt your sleep.
To solve the noise and LED light issues, look for an air purifier with Sleep mode. Once you engage sleep mode, the purifier automatically dims the LED lights and adjusts the fan to the lowest speed. Also, you can manually adjust the fan speed and switch off or dim the lights.
Energy consumption
If you are worried that leaving the air purifier on at night will increase your electricity bills, look for Energy Star-rated models. You can also consider an air purifier with Auto mode.
When on Auto mode, the air purifier adjusts the fan speed depending on the contaminants in the air. If your air is clean, the fan will be at low speed saving on energy consumption. So, the energy consumption will be lowest at night since reduced activity reduces airborne pollutants.
Dryness in the room
Air purifier fans cause faster evaporation of moisture in the room. So, if you are in a hot and humid area, this will work for you because you and will get cool nights. However, it will not be favourable in cold seasons.
Also, ensure that the fan is not blowing directly on you because it will dry up your nose and mouth, resulting in irritation.
Benefits of sleeping with your air purifier on
Leaving your air purifier on at night helps with the following:
Cleans the air of pollutants
The quality of air and sleep are linked. An air purifier rids the air in your bedroom of pollen, dust, mould spores, and other sleep-depriving contaminants. Also, if you have asthma or allergies, you’ll rarely get attacks at night because the air is clean.
Besides, if you have kids in the house, you want to make sure that they are inhaling clean air. Because their respiratory system is still developing, inhaling dirty air could lead to health complications in the future.
Moreover, older people exposed to smoke and dangerous chemicals like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide are at risk of dementia. Therefore, to protect the health of your family, let them sleep in clean and fresh rooms.
Calming sound for better sleep
The sound produced by air purifiers when blowing and circulating air can either be white noise or pink noise (especially at low fan speeds). This sound helps people who do not like dead silent rooms at night to sleep better.
Most air purifiers feature the Sleep mode, which automatically turns the fan speed at the lowest at night to avoid noise disruptions. If yours lacks that option, you can switch to the lowest fan speed manually.
Boosts mood and productivity
A good night’s sleep manifests the following morning. A well-rested person is productive and in a good mood all day. So, improve your sleep quality by leaving that air purifier on or buying one for your bedroom if you have not.
Conclusion
The simple answer to the question “Can I use an air purifier while sleeping?” is a simple yes. You can use an air purifier at night as long as it doesn’t disrupt your sleeping pattern.
After investing in dark curtains and cozy bedding, consider buying an air purifier in the bedroom for better sleep. After a long day of work, you deserve a good rest. Also, you will be able to perform and make others happy if you are well-rested.
If you haven’t bought an air purifier yet, you can check out our reviews of the best air purifiers in Canada. Ensure that you get one with white or pink noise and which allows you to reduce the fan speed as well as dim LED lights.