Indoor Air Quality and Sleep: How Poor Air Can Affect Your Rest
Low indoor air quality can drain your energy and make it difficult to achieve deep sleep. If you often wake up with a stuffy nose, your sleeping environment may increase your risk of an allergic reaction.
The Connection Between Air Quality and Sleep
Airborne pollutants can irritate your respiratory tract. High humidity levels and elevated temperatures can make it challenging to rest well; your core temperature must drop to help you fall into a deep sleep. Overnight exposure to air pollution can limit the quality of your sleep and even shorten your life.
Common Indoor Air Pollutants
There are simple steps you can take to reduce your exposure to indoor air pollution:
Get wool dryer balls to avoid using scented dryer sheets.
Invest in a robot vacuum to reduce the amount of dust, pet hair and dander, and other particulates that fall to the floor overnight.
Stop using scented air fresheners in your home. If you want to scent an area, light an unscented candle. Fire can burn away unpleasant odors.
Improving Indoor Air Quality for Better Sleep
Changing the HVAC Filter
One of the simplest ways to protect your indoor air quality is to be vigilant about changing out your HVAC filter. Try to get a filter that offers HEPA protection; the deeper the folds in your filter, the more particulates that will be removed.
Seek Professional HVAC Help
Bring in an expert to check out your HVAC system and review the contents of your ducts. Use air purifiers in your bedrooms. If you have pets, consider keeping them out of the bedrooms of those sensitive to pet dander or hair.
Check Your Air Vents
Make sure that your return air vents are also regularly cleaned. Dust that settles inside any ductwork inside your home can become damp when the air conditioning is working hard. Damp dust is a haven for mold and bacteria to thrive.
The Impact of Good Air Quality on Health and Productivity
Poor air quality can increase your risk for allergic respiratory responses. Even if you're not specifically allergic to dust, constant exposure to excess dust can increase your negative reactions to fragrances.
If you currently suffer from allergies, constant exposure to airborne irritants and toxins can increase your risk of an asthmatic response. The respiratory tract can't function effectively in a continuous state of inflammation. Every reaction to an irritant can increase the severity of your next response.
Conclusion
Improving the air quality inside your home can help you get great sleep, reduce your exposure to toxins, and breathe more easily in general. Contact the experts at Service Express Heating and Air Conditioning to test your indoor air quality and address your purification and filtering needs.
