Ireland has been going through an unusual heat wake and the sales of fans have been through the roof. Many people have resorted to sleeping with the fan running in their bedroom during the night but is it safe for sleep?
Even with the many benefits that you can get from leaving the fan on as you slumber, it can still come with some adverse effects which include the following.
What Are The Side Effects Of Sleeping With A Fan On?
Drying Of The Throat/ Mouth
Leaving the fan running will lead to drying of the mouth and throat because it dries out the air in the room. Breathing the dry air will dry the mouth for mouth breather and the nose for the nose breathers and hence disturbing your sleep since you might need to wake up to drink some water.
Sinus irritations
Sinus irritations are one of the main shortcomings of sleeping with the fan running. This dry air irritates the mucous membrane line the nasal passages and when these membranes become too dry, they will try to resolve this problem by producing mucus which in turn causes blockage, build-ups and intense pressure on the sinus.
Stiff Neck
That annoying stiff neck that you always get every other morning when you wake up might be due to leaving the fan running as you sleep. This is because the cool breeze that the fan produces can cause the muscles to tense up as it blows on your skin.
can cause the muscles around the neck to tense up or even cramp. The continued muscle tightening is what causes you to wake up with a sore or stiff neck or even a shoulder pain in the morning.
Asthma/ Allergy Issues
If you are one of the many asthmatic individuals or are prone to getting allergies, sleeping with a fan on is not good because fans will collect a lot of dust and allergens when not in operations and when you switch them on they will blow all that dust and all the other harmful things in it directly into your sinuses and lungs.
For allergy and asthma sufferers, this is a nightmare that they never want to experience as it not only makes it hard to sleep but will also make their conditions worse.
So you've been warned. Keep your room clean and well ventilated and maybe invest in a fan with a timer which switches off when you fall asleep.
