Sleeping during a heatwave is a bit of a nightmare. You feel sticky, hot, and irritated as you struggle to fall asleep. But, there’s an easy solution to this. Just put the fan on and there’s no harm in putting your fan on overnight, right?
Well, apparently, there is. It seems that keeping your fan overnight could actually be doing you a disservice (I know, we’re sorry).
Although you might feel cooler, there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t be doing this.
To keep us from having our fans blowing all night, Martin Seeley, the CEO and sleep expert at MattressNextDay urges Brits has shared why doing so could seriously affect your health.
It can be dangerous
Consumer safety charity, Electrical Safety First, says that leaving your fan on at night could put you at risk if a fault occurs within your device while you’re sleeping. Yup, we’re talking a one-way ticket to a house fire.
Turn your fan off before you go to sleep and ensure you have working smoke alarms in your property.
It can trigger your allergies
Fans circulate dust mites, spores, pollen, and other allergens which isn’t great if you suffer from hay fever. If you find yourself dealing with more hay fever symptoms at night, make sure you don’t have any dust on the blades of your electric fan.
You should also make sure that your vents are always clean to ensure that your fan works properly. Make sure to unplug your fan and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before opening the guard or attempting to clean the fan.
It can make you congested
If you’ve had an electric fan on all day, you’ll probably notice how dry the air feels due to the excess wind.
“Naturally, over time this can dry out your nose and throat which results in your body needing to produce more mucus to stay hydrated,” Seeley explains.
This can cause an array of side effects that include, a headache, stuffy nose, and even a sinus headache. “To stop this from happening, you should ensure that you drink at least two litres of water throughout the day,” he adds.
If you feel congested, make sure to drink at least two litres of water throughout the day. Seeley says: “This is also recommended for those that have suffered from a poor night’s sleep due to the heat, as even mild dehydration can cause you to feel even more drowsy and tired.”
It can give you dry eyes and cause an irritation
Dry air can make your eyes dry which leads to irritation especially if you wear contacts. However, Seeley explains that “you can get around this if you purchase a rotating electric heater as it circulates the air more.”
It can cause a stiff neck or sore muscles
If you suffer from any pre-existing muscle pain you should hold back from directing the electric fan on this area throughout the night.
“This is because the concentrated cool air can make your muscles tense and cramp up, causing you even more pain,” Seeley says.
He continues: “You may even notice that you’ve gained a stiff neck since using an electric fan so refrain from using it for a few nights to see if you spot a difference.”
URGH, FINE – we’ll turn it off. Fortunately, if you’re struggling to sleep in this godforsaken heat, there is a position that’ll help you drop off quickly.