As the weather gets colder, having central heating in your home is a convenient way to keep it warm. But it isn’t without its problems. The warm air coming out is bone-dry, and the more you rely on that warm air to heat your home, the drier all the air in your home becomes.
Humidity levels naturally drop in winter, and this does play a part in how well we sleep and how we feel when we wake up. Ideal indoor humidity during winter should hover around 50% but dry winter air can cause your humidity to drop to around 15% or less. This may cause problems that can affect your health, your home and your comfort.
Why do you wake up with a sore throat or feeling stuffy?
Too little humidity isn’t good for sleep either. Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. Air that is dry can lead irritated nasal passages, sneezing, coughing, itchy throat and may even increase suffering from colds and other viruses. This in turn can lead to more snoring and makes sleeping difficult.
How to prevent dry air in the bedroom
You can’t control the weather, but you can control how the humidity level affects your bedroom. To ensure the best sleep possible, aim to keep your bedroom’s humidity level at about 50% year-round.
There are several ways you can prevent dry air in the bedroom. These include:
- Investing in a humidifier for the winter
- Using a higher tog duvet or several layers rather than cranking the heating up (which adds warmth but decreases moisture further)
- Adding moisture to the air by placing large bowls of water around the home (the water evaporates and adds moisture) in particular near radiators
- Hanging wet/damp clothes to dry in your bedroom
- Keeping plants in the bedroom (moisture evaporates from the leaves)
Very helpful tips! Indeed, the issue of dry air is relevant not only during winter but also in summers because air conditioning also removes moisture from the air. Another thing to consider is taking a shower with doors open; this way, you will spread the excess moisture throughout the house.