Negative Impact on Sleep in a Poorly Ventilated Bedroom
When you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep, the last thing you want to deal with is struggling to breathe. This is a problem most commonly attributed to a lack of proper ventilation in your bedroom. If you keep the windows closed throughout the year, you can be sure that your bedroom will be hot and stuffy with no breeze. In some cases, you might even have a hard time sleeping at night even if the air is relatively cool to the touch.
In order to get the clean air you need and get rid of the stuffy air you don’t, you have to try something new. While it can feel like common sense that wouldn’t need to be explained, smaller rooms generally benefit in two ways from proper ventilation that you wouldn’t even think of, and some don’t even know of the potential benefits.
Solution: Open Your Windows
When it gets warm outside, the markets are flooded with air conditioners, and people can’t wait to cool down. Unfortunately, leaving the windows wide open to get some fresh air can be pretty uncomfortable in the colder months. In order to get the best of both worlds, you have to be able to enjoy the benefits of ventilation without the cold. Thankfully, there are things you can do to get air circulating without having to freeze your buns off.
Discomfort When Falling Asleep
If you have a stuffy room, it can be really hard to fall asleep. Excess heat can cause you to sweat, which will make you uncomfortable. Worse yet, you may not be able to sleep with the temperature high. If so, you may want to consider a few of the following solutions for improving ventilation in your bedroom.
Run a Fan
Having the fan on during the summertime can help keep the bedroom cool. If you have air conditioning, don’t run it while you’re sleeping. It will keep you from sweating, but it will be noisy and make you feel like the room is super cold. Instead, run the fan during the summer and then use the air conditioner in the morning and evening while you’re awake.
Find the Coolest Spot in the Room
If you have two windows in your bedroom, turn off the one that’s in the southernmost area of the room. Those areas tend to get more heat than northern areas. If you can’t turn off two, pick the one that’s most frequently used. This will at least make the room feel like it’s easier to breathe in.
Mold Growth Can Set Off Allergies
The problem with mold is that it can trigger allergies in people who aren’t used to being around it. Mold is a pretty gross thing, which is probably why it can trigger our allergies better than other allergy triggers. When we are exposed to mold over a relatively long period of time, we tend to “overreact” to the presence of mold because of our increased sensitivity. Mold spores contain allergens and sensitizers – it’s the substance that’s released when we open a bag of cereal that contains enough to make your nose itch, for example. The same thing can happen with air-born mold spores, which is why you can develop allergies to the stuff without ever having contact with it before.
High Levels of Carbon Dioxide Are Dangerous for Your Health
Carbon dioxide cartridge fans are useful in making sure that the air in your bedroom stays fresh. These are relatively inexpensive and can be obtained from DIY or hardware shops. They are small in size and therefore take up hardly any space and do not create air drafts.
There is a misconception that carbon dioxide poisoning is rare. However, levels of carbon dioxide are monitored closely in hospitals and carbon dioxide poisoning is the cause of over 30 000 deaths in the US alone. A commercial grade carbon dioxide fan can be bought in case the level of carbon dioxide is high.
If fresh air delivery is needed in a room that is well sealed and/or not used regularly, carbon dioxide cartridge fans are the perfect solution. These are easily movable, easy to use and are a good investment.
Improve Ventilation with Windows in Your Bedroom
If you’re a diehard night owl who often finds themselves working, watching TV, or studying long into the evening hours, then chances are you spend a fair amount of time in your bedroom. A great way to improve the air in your bedroom is to install windows.
When you’re living in an apartment, you may feel limited on the options for adding windows to your living space, but there are ways around this to increase air circulation. Here are some simple bedroom window ideas to consider.
- “Puttied” Windows Underground is an inexpensive way to add a window in a room that you need to be able to see through. This window idea is almost invisible, and it allows you to add windows right below ground level. For example, if you’d like a window in your closet, but you don’t want to see the window, you could do this door idea. You won’t be able to open the window, but it will let you see into the room.
- Plant Boxes Made of Plexiglass These are a simple alternative to replacing all of your windows with plexiglass, and they have the added benefit of allowing light, while also making it harder to see into the room.
Improve Ventilation If There Are NO Windows in Your Bedroom
One quick hack many people use is to seal their bedroom door. Not all bedrooms have a door, but if yours does, just take a piece of cardboard and place it beneath the door. The cardboard will create a barrier between your bedroom and the hallway, giving you some much-needed privacy and quiet. It will also ensure that the air in your room doesn’t leak out of the cracks in the door.
Use a Fan
Another simple hack that can be done in less than 10 minutes is to buy or build an adjustable ceiling fan. This may sound like an odd way to increase airflow in your room, but the simple truth is that fans create a current of air that can make you feel more comfortable. Not to mention, it’s an excellent way to get rid of some of the stuffiness in your room. Plus, the right fan can both circulate air throughout your room and provide you with the ambient noise that you need to go to sleep at night.
Replacing Your Beds/Mattresses
Another suggestion to help you is to replace older, traditional beds with ones that have new features designed to help with airflow. Brands such as AirBedz have made it easier than ever to sleep cooler, plus their all-season performance allows you to use your bed all year round.
Open Your Room’s Door and the Windows in Other Rooms of the House
How to open your room’s door:
You need only open your bedroom door a crack to get some useful air flow. Just like the bathroom, avoid keeping your door wide open all the time, as it makes it easier for bugs to get in. Also, keep your bedroom door closed when you’re not in the room to avoid dust and annoying noises.
Open windows in other rooms:
Open windows in the other rooms of the house to lower your home’s overall temperature. As the air in your bedroom cools, it will find its way out your door and be replaced by cool air from the other rooms of the house.
Open windows safely:
Before you open your windows, blinds, or curtains, get some large pieces of cardboard and stick them to the inside of the windows, temporarily sealing them. Not only will this minimize dust getting into your house, but it will ensure that you don’t forget to put the windows back up.
How to improve ventilation in your room by leaving the window open:
If you’ve left your bedroom door open, but you’re concerned about an open window, consider putting some mesh screen over the window. Unlike screens that are on your windows, mesh screen is very fine and keeps out bugs without making a lot of noise.
Put Unused Fans Into Good Use
Ever wonder what to do with those big, bulky and ugly ceiling fans? Put it to some really good use and get rid of that stuffy bedroom.
There are several reasons why your bedroom may be stuffy, for example, not enough ventilation in the room or your neighbor’s brat kid playing in the backyard. Whatever the case may be, here are a few tips to keep the room comfortable:
Remove The Heavy Curtains
Bedrooms should be kept dark to make your sleep deep as possible. If you have sheer curtains that let in light, consider darkening them with printed curtains. You can also use your ceiling fan to get rid of some of the stuffiness in your room.
Use the Ceiling Fan to Improve Ventilation
Ensure that the fan runs with the blades rotating clockwise to move the air down to the floor. The ceiling fans do this pretty well.
Add a Small Fan on the Side Window
You can add a small fan on the window frame to push the air inside. You should make sure the room is well-aired if you are going out for a very long time.
Additional Measures to Improve the Air Quality in a Poorly Ventilated Room
By taking the tips above into consideration, you are already well on your way to improving the air quality in a poorly ventilated room. If you’re still dealing with air quality issues, consider upgrading your furnace and/or air conditioning unit to make sure that your room is more consistently kept at a temperature that is warm and comfortable. Also, seal up or remove any mold or water damage in your home’s structure and replace any carpeting with hardwood, tile, linoleum, or other such materials. These will all help to improve the air quality in a poorly ventilated room.
Although you cannot always control how the weather (or the outside air in general) affects the quality of air inside your home, you will be able to enjoy a much better quality of life by taking the time to make sure that your home’s HVAC system and the air inside of it is/are as clean as possible!
For all those people who are renting a home, there are no easy fixes with an a/c other than by moving to a different apartment.
Hire a Contractor to Clean and Maintain HVAC
Make sure that air vents are kept clean and that the vents are unblocked. Air should not be able to move freely through your vents, otherwise you are just blowing dirty air from one place to another.
Get an Air Purifier or Dehumidifier
When you combine an air purifier with an air conditioner, you get a perfect recipe for excellent air quality in your bedroom. For one thing, air purifiers (like the one in this article) will capture and neutralize dust, pollen, mold, mildew, and other allergens that might be present in the air. Add an air conditioner to the mix, and rather than blowing the heated air outside, you get to recirculate it. That cuts down on energy consumption, and reduces the amount of dust, pollen, mold, and mildew that’s circulating in the neighborhood.
As long as you make sure that the outside air is sufficiently warm, then you can run an air conditioner in your bedroom year-round, providing you with great air quality every night. You can also opt for a whole-house air purifier/air conditioner to maintain great air quality in the rest of your home.
Keep the Room Cool
This is by far one of the most valuable remedies for an airtight room. The walls of your room are trapping warmth that could be better utilized. The walls and therefore the room heat up during the day. This is okay if your region is subject to h