Many people love sleeping with the window open. They can’t get a good night’s rest without feeling the cool, night air. What about during the winter, though? Are the colder temperatures healthy or harmful? Let’s look at the effects of sleeping with the window open in winter.
Benefits of Sleeping with the Window Open in Winter
Opening your window, at any time of year and any time of day is a great way to improve your indoor air quality. Outdoor air is generally much cleaner than the air in your home, and opening the window allows clean, fresh air to circulate, flushing out the stale, contaminated air.
Letting the cool, winter air in can also help you sleep better. Our body temperatures are several degrees cooler when we sleep than when we’re awake, and studies have shown that making our environment cooler can help kick-start the sleep process, allowing us to fall asleep more quickly. It can also let you sleep more soundly, with less chance of waking up in the middle of the night.
A cooler environment also helps melatonin production. This hormone, which is produced while you sleep, has a number of benefits, including fighting cancer and lowering the risk of everything from heart disease to diabetes to Alzheimer’s.
When Not to Leave the Window Open
Some believe letting cold air into your room increases your chance of getting sick. However, “You’ll catch your death of cold,” is just an expression. Viruses aren’t spread through winter air. However, there are still some situations where it’s better to leave your windows closed.
If you live in a high-crime area, an open window while you sleep is a bad idea. Furthermore, if your area has high air pollution, you won’t see the benefits of improved IAQ. Likewise, if the humidity is high, you may not see the benefits of improved sleep. Finally, if you have bad allergies, open windows will let pollen in, which can exacerbate them.
For help improving your home comfort and indoor air quality, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We provide Indianapolis with quality HVAC solutions.
