{"id":8075,"date":"2021-06-30T14:29:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T14:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluenationalhvac.com\/?page_id=8075"},"modified":"2021-11-16T19:24:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T19:24:16","slug":"sleep-environment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bluenationalhvac.com\/hvac\/sleep-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating the Ultimate Sleep Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why Your Sleep Environment Is Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone feels much better after a good night\u2019s sleep, but could you be doing more to facilitate this? The amount of sleep you need depends on a number of factors, but before considering this, it\u2019s worth thinking about whether you\u2019re giving yourself the opportunity to get enough sleep? Do you factor a good night\u2019s sleep into your plans for the day or are you regularly working late or staying up glued to a screen or two? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The modern world is packed full of blue light<\/a>, which isn\u2019t great for sleep and beyond this, we often prioritize other things over our need to rest and get a proper night\u2019s sleep. External factors can also influence the quality of your sleep, from temperature to noise and air quality to humidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Sleep Foundation<\/a> assesses that all adults aged 18 to 65 require between 7 and 9 hours sleep per night, with children requiring more, depending on their age. Not getting enough good quality sleep can have serious consequences, even in the short term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Consequences of Lack of Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even a little less sleep than you\u2019re used to can cause uncomfortable short-term symptoms. Let\u2019s dive into some of those symptoms below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memory Issues <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lack of sleep can inhibit your ability to remember and effectively process information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of Alertness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even losing just one or two hours of sleep can impact your alertness the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lethargy and Sleepiness <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No one wants to feel lethargic and overly tired throughout the day, but that\u2019s what happens with a lack of sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mood Swings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not sleeping enough can cause irritability which in turn can impact your relationships, as you may snap and overreact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accident Risk <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While not exactly a symptom, being overtired puts you at a much higher risk of making mistakes, whether that\u2019s behind the wheel, at work, or at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not getting enough sleep can become a more serious problem if you continue to try and function over a longer period of time. Long-term and serious health problems can quickly develop if you are consistently unable to get enough sleep. Symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation can include heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Other problems include depression, immunity problems, diminished sex drive and obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is often possible to recognize when someone is sleeping badly or suffering from a long-term lack of sleep, as it begins to affect their appearance. It can be obvious in the form of premature wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. Lack of sleep can also lead to an increase in cortisol<\/a>, the body\u2019s stress hormone. Cortisol also breaks down the body\u2019s collagen which keeps skin smooth, leading to unwanted wrinkles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating the perfect environment for sleep is a vital step in improving your sleep quality and ensuring a good night\u2019s sleep every night. Furthermore, the air quality in your bedroom is particularly important for creating that perfect sleep space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Quality and Sleep Quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The quality of the air in our homes is not something we pay much attention to; we simply breathe it in and think it\u2019ll do, and everything is absolutely fine. However, plenty of research shows how important air quality can be for a good night\u2019s sleep and what issues you should look out for in your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ventilation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Air quality can affect sleep because bedrooms are often subject to some of the poorest air quality in the whole home. This is usually because of the size of the rooms in question and because we often shut our bedroom doors behind us and don\u2019t always keep the windows open. Generally, the bigger the room, the better the air quality, but remembering to leave doors and windows open occasionally can help too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humidity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many reasons a bedroom may have high humidity levels. It\u2019s often because you choose to dry clothes in the space when you should try to keep them outside. Many homes also have undiscovered damp problems that can impact the humidity in bedrooms, too. High humidity levels will leave you feeling uncomfortably sticky and hot, impacting your sleep as it\u2019s simply impossible to drift off. Bedrooms with high humidity levels can also be hotbeds for mold and dust mites, which pose further problems for sleep as well as your overall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airplane Dryness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the opposite end of the scale, rooms that are too dry can leave you feeling that dry mouth and nose that you associate more commonly with air travel. For comfort at night, around 50% humidity is best, as it allows you to sleep comfortably without feeling overly sticky or too dry. Your HVAC system can add to the air drying out, so it’s important to consider humidifying options, too, when using your HVAC throughout the warmer months. There are a range of humidifiers on the market, but those that use vaporizers are not recommended<\/a> and the EPA warns this kind of unit can be dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allergens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you sleep, you breathe much more deeply than you do when just walking around day-to-day. The deep breathing needed in your sleep cycles can easily be disrupted by common allergens such as mold, dust and ragweed. These allergens can exacerbate respiratory disorders such as asthma and can trigger allergic reactions easily, making symptoms such as coughing and sneezing worse. To minimize allergens in the room, you could consider keeping windows closed to avoid allergens from outdoors getting in and consider bedding that is allergen-safe and dust mite resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indoor Air Pollution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By far the biggest issue impacting your sleep is indoor air pollution. Often considered more dangerous than its outdoor counterpart<\/a>, tiny invisible pollutants are present all around us whether at home or at work or lying in bed. Many of the actions we take affect the volume of indoor air pollution in our bedrooms. Many regular household products are actually harmful, or toxic breathe including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n