If you’re considering purchasing a fan to combat the heat so you don’t wake up all damp and sweaty, our fan recommendation would be buying none of them.
There’s two reasons for that: One, they’re probably all sold out due to the scorching temperatures, and two, sleeping with a fan on isn’t the best for your health-wise.
While a fan does help circulate stagnant air to make your room cooler, it also circulates pollen and dust. This won’t help ease you to bed, especially if you have allergies, asthma, or hay fever.
“Take a close look at your fan,” says The Sleep Advisor. “If it’s been collecting dust on the blades, those particles are flying through the air every time you turn it on.”
Sleeping with a fan on can also dry out our skin and your nasal passages; The Sleep Advisor says when the nasal passages become too dry, your body will compensate with excess mucous formation, making you stuffed up and uncomfortable.
Still want a fan for sleep due to your heat delirium? Well if that’s not enough, you could suffer from muscle cramps if you have the fan running all night.
Related: Is Sleeping in on the Weekends Bad for Your Health?
“People who sleep with a breeze directly on them may wake up with stiff or sore muscles. This is because the concentrated cool air can make muscles tense up and cramp,” experts explain. “This problem is especially common for people who sleep with it near their face and neck. If you’ve been waking up with a stiff neck in the morning, it might be because of the constant breeze.”
So if you need some reprieve from the summer heat, consider other ways to cool off, like a cool flannel in a bowl of water near your bed, or sleeping on top of the covers with the windows open.
Sweat dreams!
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