Is it healthier to sleep with an open window?

If someone could see my Google search history then they’d probably think I was barmy.

I bet a lot of us would be somewhat embarrassed of the things we’ve searched the internet for answers to!

One of my most recent enquiries was to see if sleeping with the window open was healthier or not.

I’m always on a mission to be as healthy as possible and this random thought popped into my head the other night as I was closing the bedroom window thankful my husband had decided to sleep downstairs.

Not thankful he was sleeping elsewhere, but thankful I could close the window.

I really struggle to sleep with the window open as the noise from the street keeps me awake.

We live on a reasonably quiet street, but any car that passes or people who walk by will wake me up.

Becoming a mum made me a lighter sleeper

Everything is just so much louder with the window open and since becoming a mum I find noises disturb my slumber more now than they ever did before, if at all.

In this heat wave Ben, my husband, has preferred to keep the window wide open.

Failing that at reducing his heat levels, he’ll go downstairs to sleep in the cooler lower levels!

As I shut the window one night when he had gone, I realised that perhaps in fact, it would be healthier to sleep with the window open to allow the air to flow through freely and not get stagnant.

Curious to see any other benefits of leaving the window open I did what I always do and researched this notion.

The best quality sleep is so important

Sleep is so important.

We spend around a third of our lives asleep and it’s vital for our health.

Lack of sleep can result in irritability, bad moods, poor concentration and of course extreme tiredness and not being able to function as normal.

According to the NHS website, ‘Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.’

So getting the best quality sleep is essential for our health!

Why sleeping with the window open is probably healthier for you

Read on to discover the results of my research and why sleeping with the window open, if you can, might just be healthier for you.

Image

A better night’s sleep

There was a Dutch study that proved sleeping with a window open and allowing better ventilation improved the sleep of the participants.

The study was only based on 17 people, however, so I’m not sure such a small number can be conclusive.

It also stated even a crack in the door made for a better sleep which I agree with.

I can’t stand to sleep with a shut door as I feel so trapped and like the air doesn’t move, so we always have the door open.

If we lived in a totally quiet area then I’d be up for leaving the window open too.

Less CO2

The better ventilated rooms had less CO2 present which has been linked to improved sleep quality.

It’s quite bizarre to think that we shut our doors for privacy and windows to save energy, yet many of us suffer from sleep issues and this could be exactly why.

A study found that the less CO2 in a room, the better sleep quality a person had, as well as improved concentration the next day and their ability to complete a test of logical thinking.

Reduced air pollution

Shockingly the air indoors can be more polluted than the air outdoors, even in urban areas!

I hope my bedroom isn’t this bad as we’re in a suburban area, but it’s also not surprising given the amount of chemicals people use daily within their homes.

I prefer to try and create a nontoxic living environment by using plant-based cleaning solutions and also having plants in every room to purify the air.

So whether it’s when you’re sleeping, or during the day, we should all be opening the windows to get a burst of fresh air (and hopefully less polluted air) circulating through our homes.

To lose weight

Now this does sound barmy, but some experts believe sleeping in a room that’s a few degrees cooler than we are used to can prevent obesity and even ward off type 2 diabetes.

Sometimes I’m pretty sure these experts can find a link between anything if they wanted to, but who knows, perhaps sleeping in a chilly room will help you maintain a healthy weight too!