When it comes to improving your sleep, you may not necessarily think about air quality. The fact is that poor air quality can significantly affect your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and experience the health benefits of a good rest. Anyone struggling to sleep well should consider their home's air quality.

Let's explore the link between poor indoor air quality and sleep, and how you can improve both in your home.

How Does Indoor Air Quality Affect Sleep?

Many different factors can affect your home's indoor air quality (IAQ), resulting in a variety of sleep problems. For example, an uncomfortably hot room as well as allergy symptoms from mold or dust mites can all make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

You may sleep fine at night, but then experience the symptoms of sleep deficiency during the day. These symptoms include irritability, trouble focusing or daytime sleepiness. The long-term effects of poor sleep can be severe, impacting brain function and heart health. It can also increase your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease and depression. Ensuring good sleep is crucial to stay healthy in the short-term and long-term.

Two of the biggest factors affecting sleep quality are temperature and pollutants.

1. Temperature

Have you ever tossed and turned while trying to fall asleep in a hot room? Then you understand why temperature can make falling asleep tricky. The Sleep Foundation tells us that the best temperature for sleeping is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. With this in mind, it's recommended to set your thermostat between 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

A cooler temperature at night is important for keeping your circadian rhythm in check and helping you fall asleep. A too-hot bedroom could make it harder for your body to regulate its internal temperature, especially during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

2. Airborne Pollutants

Airborne pollutants are another major contributor to poor IAQ. They can come from many sources, including:

Mold: Mold exposure is an easy way to interrupt your sleep. Household molds are associated with sleep problems such as snoring, insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness. Some of these symptoms come from the mold itself, while others stem from allergy symptoms they cause. Nasal congestion or itchy eyes, for example, could keep you up.
Pet dander: Your furry friends could be making it harder for you to get a good night's sleep. Pet hair and dander are very lightweight, hanging around in the air for a long time. They also cling to fabric and bedding easily. They can cause allergies and disrupt your normal sleep habits.
Pollen: Daytime pollen allergies can carry over into your sleep, causing symptoms like insomnia, trouble staying asleep and congestion. These problems can lead to sleep apnea. Pollen-related sleep problems could be seasonal, but they might also be present year-round, depending on your environment.
Dust mites: Dust mites are microscopic creatures that act like insects and feed on dead skin cells — one of the main components of dust. Many people who experience dust allergies are actually reacting to protein in the dust mites' waste. The mites often cling to bedding, mattresses and carpets, so they could be the culprit if you feel like your indoor air quality is worse at night.
Outdoor pollutants: If the outside air quality is low, opening a window could introduce pollutants like smoke, radon and volatile chemicals. All of these substances can lower the air quality in your home and cause various adverse effects.
Particulate matter: Particulate matter (PM) are particles suspended in the air that are small enough to be inhaled. Activities that involve combustion like cooking or burning candles can often create these super-small particles. By breathing them in, PM can reach the lungs or even the bloodstream. The result can be a range of health problems like eye, nose and throat irritation and aggravation of coronary and respiratory disease systems.

Can the Air in Your House Make You Tired?

In addition to problems falling and staying asleep, poor IAQ can make you feel tired all the time during the day. Allergy symptoms can contribute to fatigue, so simply battling these effects all day can be tiring.

Fatigue and sleepiness related to air quality are also associated with some pollutants, like carbon monoxide and other fumes. If these symptoms come on suddenly or feel very intense, go outside right away. Call a professional such as a firefighter or your gas company to check for a gas leak.

How to Improve Air Quality in Your Bedroom

If you're noticing any of these symptoms, or simply want to be proactive about your health, take the following steps to help improve the air quality in your bedroom.

1. Remove Mold and Allergens

One of the simplest steps is to remove any sources of allergens. Do a thorough sweep of your home for any allergens. Then take the appropriate measures to keep them at bay. Strategies include:

Remove mold at the source, hiring a professional if necessary
Keep your home's relative humidity levels between 30% and 50%
Add dust mite covers and sleeves to your bedding
Vacuum your mattress regularly
Wash your bedding and other bedroom fabrics weekly
Dust your room often with a damp or microfiber cloth to trap allergens
Keep your windows closed when outdoor pollution levels are high
Shower before you go to sleep to minimize potential allergens brought to your bed
Keep pets out of the bedroom

2. Install an Air Purifier

Pollutants are a major culprit of poor IAQ. An air purifier can help improve sleep quality by clearing out these particles. A crucial caveat to remember is that you must get the right kind of air purifier. Always opt for ones that use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. A HEPA filter captures extremely small PM, snagging particles down to about 0.3 microns in size.

Remember to follow air quality best practices, such as keeping up with filter changes in your air purifier and avoiding certain cleaners.

3. Ensure Good Ventilation, Temperature and Humidity

Proper ventilation can help you avoid many issues related to air quality, like preventing humidity and pollutant accumulation. Unfortunately, ventilating your home is not as simple as opening a window, especially if the outdoor air quality isn't any better than the indoor air quality.

A well-maintained and properly sized HVAC system can ventilate the whole house while cleaning and dehumidifying the air. It also helps maintain a comfortable temperature throughout your home, prevents humidity and keeps mold and dust mites at bay. As a result, you can enjoy the ideal indoor environment for a good night's sleep.

Improve Your Air Quality With Boss Mechanical

Air quality and sleep quality go hand in hand. Improving IAQ could make a significant difference in your sleep quality and overall health. At the same time, IAQ involves many different factors, so it's important to identify the source of the problem. Boss Mechanical's licensed air quality specialists can help solve the puzzle.

Our team will take the time to understand your situation and get the right equipment in place. We're a one-stop shop, including sales, installation and maintenance services. Reach out today for a free quote!

The Connection Between Indoor Air Quality and Sleep