Is sleeping with a fan on bad for your health?

Posted: 7th August 2018 | Posted by Costa

Is sleeping with a fan on bad for your health?

While we may love the summer heat, we also hate it; nobody likes getting into bed at the end of a long day only to feel sweaty, hence the fans we can set up next to our bed. A cool breeze all night? Yes, please! Unfortunately, it’s not all good news; if you struggle with dust allergies, hay fever or asthma, or it’s just a summer cold, then you may want to ditch the fan.

Dust

No matter how clean and tidy you keep your room, there’s always sneaky dust particles or pollen insistent on sticking around. This dust and pollen can attach itself to the fan blades which will circulate the air once switched on. So when you’re sleeping, those irritants are being blown right at your face. You might be okay, but if you find that your eyes are itchy or if you experience any other symptoms, you should probably keep the fan switched off. If you can’t bear the heat, try cleaning the fan blades before you go to sleep.

Dry skin

If you have dry skin, a fan can cause it to worsen as the fan eliminates moisture due to the prolonged cool air. Lotions can help to keep your skin as moisturised as possible, but if you find that it isn’t helping, keep fan usage minimal.

Sinuses

The cold air can dry out your nasal passages which can affect your sinuses and cause excess mucus which is likely to cause a stuffy nose and headaches.

Is it dangerous?

It isn’t dangerous to sleep with a fan on, in fact, it can be beneficial in an infant’s room, according to some studies, as reducing the temperature in their environment can minimise the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The fan isn’t going to hurt you; at worst it will just worsen your summer allergies. So while nothing seriously bad can happen to you, whether you keep the fan on at night depends on which you value more: how you sleep or how you feel in the morning.

If you think that you or your child is suffering from dust allergies or hay fever, get in touch with us today or complete our online allergy test to take the first steps to prevent irritation and discomfort.