Indoor Air Quality & Sleep: How Do They Relate?

The better sleep you get, the healthier you are. Yet, are you waking up feeling groggy and struggling to get through the day? The problem might not be your mattress, the room temperature, or a snoring bed partner. The problem could be the indoor air quality in your Atlanta, GA, home.

How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Sleep

The average home contains numerous indoor air pollutants that affect indoor air quality (IAQ) and sleep quality. Common indoor air pollutants like pollen, dust, pet dander, and other allergens get circulated throughout the home and can interrupt your sleep in the following ways:

• Difficulty breathing: Poor IAQ can cause coughing, sneezing, and congestion, making it difficult to breathe deeply.
• Headaches: Trying to fall asleep and stay asleep when you have a headache is difficult. Allergens contribute to headaches, but so do large concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air.
• Obstructive sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a medical condition where a person stops breathing for short amounts during sleep. Improving your home’s IAQ might make it easier for anyone living with this condition to breathe easier at night.

Is IAQ Worse at Night?

Your home’s IAQ doesn’t worsen at night, but you might feel the effects more if you sleep in an enclosed room with poor ventilation. If you sleep with your bedroom door shut, pollutants are more likely to build up. Also, if your home’s relative humidity level is too high or too low, your sleep can become disrupted by excessive sweating or a dry nose and throat. Indoor relative humidity levels should stay between 40-60%.

Products to Improve IAQ

At Ful-Bro Heating and Air Conditioning Inc., we have several indoor air quality solutions to help you breathe easier and sleep better. Contact us to learn more about the benefits of air purifiers, air humidifiers, ventilators, and other IAQ products to keep your household healthy.

Image provided by iStock