Is It Okay To Sleep With The Fan On? Science Explains Why (And Why Not)

Is it okay to sleep through the night with the fan on? Well the answer to that is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

According to experts, the answer depends from person to person. As you will learn below, using a fan while sleeping definitely has its pros and cons.

Fans have been described as a “low budget, DIY white noise machine” which can help people sleep better as it drowns out undesirable background noises such as “car alarms, yelling neighbors, slamming doors, and sirens.”

It’s also good for controlling the temperature in your room and in improving air circulation.

Using fan while sleeping sure has its advantages. However, it also has its drawbacks.

People who often suffer from allergies, asthma, and hay fever should definitely reconsider because fans can cause “flurries of dust and pollen to make their way into your sinuses” when its air moves around the room.

Moreover, it’s important to keep it clean since dirty blades mean dusty particles fly everywhere whenever the fan is in use.

For the beauty conscious, fans are likewise not recommended since continuous air blast can cause dry skin. You may want to apply lotion or moisturizer before sleeping.

Another possible problem is waking up with sore muscles.

A experts warned:

“People who sleep with a breeze directly on them may wake up with stiff or sore muscles. This is because the concentrated cool air can make muscles tense up and cramp.

This problem is especially common for people who sleep with it near their face and neck. If you’ve been waking up with a stiff neck in the morning, it might be because of the constant breeze.”

So yes, while a fan has its benefits, you should also take note of its downsides before deciding to use it overnight or not.