How often do you open the windows in your bedroom? It’s crucial to ensure your room has a proper ventilation system (irrespective of where you live) because sleeping in a fully closed room has some dangerous repercussions.
The dangers of sleeping in a non-ventilated room include spending the night in poor air quality with excessive carbon dioxide build-up. Poor ventilation can also lead to mold growth and an unsanitary environment that will negatively impact your health.
So, what do these dangers entail, and how do they affect you? Today’s article discusses the risks of sleeping in a non-ventilated room and how to ventilate your room for proper airflow properly. Let us begin!
7 Side-Effects of Sleeping in a Room Without Ventilation
The side-effects of sleeping in a stuffy room include various risks, especially to your mental and physical health. Poor ventilation can affect your sleep pattern, increase your allergic reactions, and impact your immunity in the long run. It can also lead to chronic illnesses.
There are seven common side effects that accompany sleeping in a non-ventilated room. Let us check them out.
1. Light-Headedness and Nausea
The first thing you’ll notice when sleeping in a non-ventilated room is how sick it makes you feel. Within a few days, you will start feeling dizzy and might have bouts of nausea. The main reason behind these symptoms is the lack of fresh air in your room. An increase in bacteria build-up can also play a part in these unpleasant symptoms.
With time, you’ll see yourself falling sick more often than usual. You might also notice headaches and a disturbance in your sleep pattern. If your room’s ventilated system is busted (or non-existent), these are some of the first symptoms you’ll face. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only effects you’ll experience.
2. Disturbed Sleep and Decreased Sleep Quality
A lack of fresh air circulation will also affect your sleep. For example, sleeping in a non-ventilated room will lead to broken sleep, sleep apnea, insomnia, nerve problems, and more.
Moreover, you might wake up feeling more drained than the night before. Sleeping disorders are one of the focal causes of tiredness, fatigue, and reduced immunity, among other ailments.
The prolonged increased humidity in your non-ventilated room results from poor air circulation. One way to detect high humidity in your room is to check the walls. If the walls feel damp and the room is highly uncomfortable, especially on a summer night, you’re likely living in high levels of humidity.
High humidity also results in accelerated mold growth in the room. If mold forms inside your bedroom, be aware of its side effects. Some of these effects include:
- Tightness in your chest
- Nasal congestion
- Prolonged wheezing
- Dry coughing
- Throat irritation
Mold growth releases mole spores. Inhaling these will trigger your allergies and make your eyes watery, red, and itchy. The spores will also affect your throat, making it sore and painful if you do not issue the address correctly.
When the humidity is high in your room, the spores can also lead to chronic illnesses such as the following:
- Nervous system disorders
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Lung diseases
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
These are also the results of Sick Building Syndromes. They come from symptoms like mold, bad air quality, and bacteria build-up. You have higher chances of facing these symptoms by living or working in virus or bacteria-infested and non-ventilated rooms for too long. If your room does not allow healthy airflow inside when you sleep, it can affect your health in the long run.
3. Decreased Mental Health and Overall Focus
If you live and sleep in a non-ventilated room, the chances are that your mental health is deteriorating. A poorly-ventilated room will disrupt your sleep schedule and affect your mental health, which will affect your mental health drastically. For example, you might feel more fatigued due to a lack of proper sleep and air ventilation.
Moreover, the lack of fresh air might make you feel claustrophobic and anxious. If you don’t sleep well, it will affect your immunity and slow down your healing process if you fall sick.
4. Lack of Fresh Air
If your room has no windows or a proper ventilation system, it will encourage the rapid growth of bacteria and viruses. Since there is no fresh air regulation in your room, and it is low in oxygen, the air will feel stale and smelly. A stuffy room has a high chance of dampness on the walls, which deteriorates the room’s structural integrity.
5. Decreased AC Effectiveness
If you have purchased an air conditioner to cool down your non-ventilated room during the summer, there is sad news for you. Unfortunately, if your room has limited air circulation and is humid with constrained air circulation, the AC will not effectively cool the room down.
Even with the AC on, your room will feel stuffy, sweaty, and uncomfortable, especially during the summer when the air outside is hot. Hence, window-less and non-ventilated bedrooms do not receive respite, even with the AC.
6. Unpleasant Odors
Does your non-ventilated room have a constant pungent or stale smell? It might be due to a lack of fresh air. A well-ventilated room will filter out bacteria and viruses and clean the indoor atmosphere, making your space feel fresh.
However, you might sense a constant smell of sweat, humidity, and various gases in a stuffy room with no airflow. When we sleep, our bodies release different gasses, which do not escape the room due to a lack of windows or proper ventilation.
These gasses have no direct lethal effects on your health but can disrupt your sleep due to the horrid smell. If you do not get proper sleep, you will likely feel sick and tired during the day.
7. Excess Carbon Dioxide
If you feel dizzy or tired even after proper six-to-eight hours of sleep in a non-ventilated room, there may be excess Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in your room. This can make you feel irritated and exhausted as if you have been out partying the whole night. Excess carbon dioxide in the air can make it hard to focus or concentrate on any task. It can also cause a severe headache, and even increase your heart rate.
To quickly investigate carbon dioxide levels, check the following:
- Your walls are damp.
- The room always feels hotter than usual.
- There is always a stench in the air.
- The air feels stale and humid.
- You feel tired most of the time, even after waking up.
If these factors are common in your non-ventilated room, then it’s likely that you’re dealing with excess carbon dioxide.
How to Ventilate Your Room Correctly
So, is there any way to halt this issue? Absolutely! There are various easy ways to ventilate your room, such as opening the windows or asking experts about proper ventilation systems, especially If you are currently living and sleeping in a non-ventilated room.
Follow these simple rules to ensure that your room has proper and healthy airflow.
Install a Ceiling Fan
If you have a room with proper electrical wiring, try to install a ceiling fan to help the air circulate.
In current times with the practice of working from home becoming more common among the working class, a good, well-ventilated room is a must. This is because laptops and computers tend to heat up after prolonged usage.
Enlist a professional electrician’s help to understand the type of fan you need, its voltage, and the requirement for your unventilated room.
Let the Air Out Through the Door
While your room might not have a window, it undoubtedly has a door. Try to keep the door open for at least an hour or so to let out the CO2. This will help with air circulation and make your room feel fresher. Moreover, it will also make your room comfortable for a good night’s sleep.
Keep in mind that opening the door will not provide as much fresh air flow as opening a window. However, it can still make a noticeable difference for a stuffy room!
Open the Windows (If You Have Them)
Depending on where you live, you might shut your windows due to heavy rain, dry sunlight, or dust. While this can keep you safe from the outdoor hassles, constantly closing your windows can be detrimental to your health.
It is best to keep the windows open for a few hours each day to ensure that the room is well-ventilated and clean. This also helps clear up the mind and refresh from the sounds and sights of the outdoors. Given all of these benefits, it’s hard to make an argument for keeping your windows closed!
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are various dangerous aspects to living and sleeping in a stuffy and unventilated room. It affects your physical and mental health and deteriorates the room’s structural aesthetics. Hence, it’s crucial to keep these pointers in mind and try to ventilate your room for overall wellness.
Comments are closed.