{"id":30063,"date":"2023-08-11T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/?p=30063"},"modified":"2023-11-07T20:07:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T20:07:39","slug":"how-to-improve-air-quality-in-bedroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-air-quality-in-bedroom\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Improve the Air Quality in Your Bedroom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Logging horrible sleep? While you can blame obvious culprits like doom scrolling right before bed or being too hot when you sleep<\/a>, there\u2019s one you may not have considered: Poor air quality (AQ). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving the AQ in your bedroom isn\u2019t usually something that appears on most experts\u2019 tips for snoozing more soundly. Yet it should, especially given that it\u2019s been a hot topic recently with wildfire smoke<\/a> and other pollutants making the world’s air worse, and data suggests there’s a link.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proof comes from a review in Environmental Pollution<\/em><\/a> <\/em>in which researchers evaluated 22 studies that examined the relationship between air pollution and sleep. Their conclusion? \u201cExisting literature generally shows a negative relationship between exposures to air pollution and sleep health in populations across different age groups, countries, and measures,\u201d they write. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple factors can explain this. For starters, increased carbon dioxide levels from pollution hamper breathing, which can make sleeping more problematic, says Carleara Weiss, PhD, RN, sleep science advisor at Aeroflow Sleep<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor that often accompanies poor AQ or air pollution is increased room temperature<\/a>, which can interfere with your body\u2019s ability to lower its temperature. As a result, you might not be able to fall asleep as easily, and nighttime awakenings will increase. Overall, “poor AQ makes people sleep less and worse,\u201d Weiss says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to improve the air quality in your bedroom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Want to give that bedroom air a makeover? Here\u2019s what you should know. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitor the AQ <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Buy an indoor AQ monitor so that you know how the air in your bedroom is. These monitors measure the amount of pollution in the air, looking at variables like particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, says Michael Rubino, a mold and AQ expert and founder of HomeCleanse<\/a>. You can also stay abreast of outdoor AQ in your area by checking AirNow<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bShut windows and doors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to allow any more outdoor air in than necessary, especially if the AQ is bad. If it\u2019s not too hot outside, close all windows and doors<\/a> and turn on the air conditioner if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bClean your room regularly <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dust, allergens, mold spores, and mycotoxins, microscopic toxins released by some species of mold, will naturally blow inside your house and thus, your bedroom. So work to keep particle levels low and clean your bedroom almost weekly to keep it dust-free. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wash the bedding<\/a> at least once a week and the mattress protector<\/span> every month or two with a botanical laundry additive, Rubino says. Although this will depend on the manufacturer, pillows should generally be washed every three months or so. Then run a HEPA vacuum cleaner on the entire mattress surface.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cExisting literature generally shows a negative relationship between exposures to air pollution and sleep health in populations across different age groups, countries, and measures.”<\/p>\nReview published in the journal Environmental Pollution<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u200bClear the clutter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The more clutter you have in your room, the more chance you have to attract pollutants. Plus, clutter makes it harder to clean so keep your room as clutter-free as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bChange your home\u2019s air filters <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAir filters are the first line of defense for your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and indoor air,\u201d Rubino says. They help eliminate dust and contaminants so they don\u2019t continue circulating throughout your house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if they\u2019re past their time to be replaced, they\u2019re most likely packed with particulates and won\u2019t filter as well, which will lower your indoor AQ. Make sure you change them on time and check that they\u2019re the highest-rated MERV filters possible for the specific HVAC system in your house, Rubino says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bOpt for less carpeting <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carpet retains moisture (which can allow for the growth of mold<\/a> and bacteria, which will lower AQ) and can trap microscopic particles that can become airborne when disturbed, Rubino says. Even vacuuming can stir up those particles\u2014so if you see that the AQ inside (or outside) is bad, avoid running the vacuum. If possible, consider replacing your bedroom carpet with another flooring surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bGet your HVAC system checked <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Schedule twice-yearly appointments to make sure the system is operating properly and not blasting contaminants throughout your home, Rubino says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What causes poor air quality in a bedroom?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many things cause poor AQ in a house, but certain ones play a role in the bedroom. They include lack of airflow and ventilation, pet dander (if your pet sleeps in your room<\/a>), lack of cleaning, failure to take care of the mattress<\/a> and bedding<\/a>, carpeting, off-gassing<\/a> from furniture and belongings, and clutter, Rubino says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you purify the air in a bedroom? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Freestanding purifiers can be a powerful way to remove airborne pollutants. Not every purifier, though, is built the same\u2014so make sure you buy a unit that removes the maximum number of contaminants possible, Rubino says. Even better, invest in a whole-home air purifier, which filters out particles for the entire home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants can also help purify the air in your bedroom. Here are the <\/em>best plants to place in your bedroom<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Logging horrible sleep? While you can blame obvious culprits like doom scrolling right before bed or being too hot when you sleep, there\u2019s one you may not have considered: Poor air quality (AQ).  Improving the AQ in your bedroom isn\u2019t usually something that appears on most experts\u2019 tips for snoozing more soundly. Yet it should, especially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":31006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[389,390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[473],"guest":[],"host":[],"class_list":["post-30063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sleep-health","category-sleep-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31007,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063\/revisions\/31007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30063"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30063"},{"taxonomy":"guest","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guest?post=30063"},{"taxonomy":"host","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/host?post=30063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}