Dr. Sergey Vishtomov, an internal medicine and cardiology specialist at the Russian Medical Center, revealed the pros and cons of sleeping under a fan to maintain good health, according to a report published by gazeta.ru.
Benefits of sleeping under a fan
There are several important points to consider to avoid the negative health consequences of sleeping under a fan. Cooling helps you tolerate heat more easily and improves sleep quality. Air circulation prevents suffocation and reduces humidity in the room. White noise, for some people, helps them fall asleep quickly.
He says: “A fan can dry out the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, weakening their protective functions and causing a local drop in body temperature, which increases susceptibility to viruses (such as acute respiratory viral infections) and also exacerbates chronic sinusitis or allergic rhinitis. Therefore, if a person suffers from a weak immune system or is prone to colds, they should not direct the fan at themselves or keep it running constantly.”
Fan air can cause muscle stiffness (especially in the neck and back muscles), thus aggravating non-specific muscle pain in the back or worsening arthritis. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the fan speed or move it away.
He says: “In addition, the fan stirs up dust, which can irritate the respiratory system and increase the risk of an asthma attack. This problem can be solved by regularly cleaning the fan blades and using air filters.”
It should be noted that increased sweat evaporation may lead to fluid loss and dehydration, so it is recommended to drink water before bed and use a humidifier.
A person can sleep with a fan if it is not pointed directly at them (preferably towards a wall or on the rotation mode), there is no air draft in the room, and they are not sick or suffering from allergies/asthma. It is best to stop using it completely if they suffer from chronic diseases of the nose, ear and throat, neuralgia or dust allergy.
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