Getting good quality sleep, can be a little difficult during the winter. This is because winter brings humid, dry areas which can affect our sleep quality. Dry air causes dry irritated eyes, sore throat, chapped skin and lips, sore throat, dry nasal passage as well as cold or flu.
One great way to combat this is by getting a humidifier. This can help you keep their air from becoming too dry when you fall asleep. With a humidifier, controlling the room’s humidity will be easier. You can keep it at an optimal level to reduce these issues and promote a good night’s sleep
How do humidifiers work?
Humidifiers are machines designed to force extra moisture into the air, thus increasing the humidity. There are two types of humidifiers, the warm mist/steam humidifier and the cool air/cool mist humidifiers.
Warm steam humidifiers work by creating warm moisture from water/boiling water to release some warm air/steam into the air. These are perfect for winter seasons. Cool mist humidifiers on the other hand incorporate water into cold air to produced cool, moist air. There are also ultrasonic, high frequency cool air humidifiers that have a diaphragm that vibrates at high ultrasonic frequencies to convert water into tiny air droplets, creating humidity in the air.
Benefits of using humidifiers
Helps prevent colds and flues
Humidifiers help Alleviates cold and flu symptoms and may come in handy in preventing influenza. By using humidifiers while you sleep, you create favorable humidity levels and breathing conditions, which in turn alleviates cold symptoms and helps prevents any infections.
Prevent/reduce sinuses
If you suffer from sinuses, especially during the cold months you can use humidifiers to keep the air moist and prevent your nasal passage from drying out. In the long run, this can prevent sinusitis or aggravated allergies.
May help reduce snoring
Dry air is a popular cause for snoring. This is because it causes your nasal cavity to dry out. This causes dry air to be trapped inside your airways leading to vibrations when you breathe in and out as you sleep. The vibrations and difficulty breathing are what produces the snoring sounds.
Dry nasal cavity can also cause a buildup of thick muscles which intensifies the snoring. Getting a humidifier is one way to get rid of this problem. Humidifiers add some moisture into the air, which means the air is no as dry and your nasal cavity and throat will not dry out as you breath. The moisture in the air allows it to move freely as you breath, reducing the level of difficulty in breathing and therefore less snoring.
Do they have any drawbacks?
While humidifiers have their benefits, they also have some disadvantages. One of the biggest and most common issue about having a humidifier is their maintenance. If water is left in the machine for long periods of time, it could grow mold or bacteria, which can lead to serious health concerns. Regardless of the brand, you need to clean your humidifier regularly to reduce the risk of serious infections.
When is the best time to get a humidifier?
During winter
During winter season, people generally spend their time indoors in well heated rooms. This can make the air in the housea bit dryer. Dry air causes sore throats, cold and difficult breathing especially during sleep. Because of this, many people may need to use a humidifier to introduce moisture into the air during winter season.
During the summer
Air can also be unnaturally dry during the summer. Air conditioning tends to remove moisture from the air, leaving it dry and this may cause some serious health issues. Dry sinuses, dry throat, dry nasal passage and inflammation are very common during the summer. Using a humidifier during this period may help alleviate these symptoms and help you sleep better during the night.
Final word
While it is a small change, humidifiers can go along way into giving you better, healthier sleep. However, you need more than just a humidifier to get a good night’s rest. Together with a high-quality mattress like the ones from Sleep Number, Quality sheets, blackout curtains and a comfortable bed, you can achieve high quality and quantity of sleep. With these combinations, you can be sure to get the best sleep and a quality, productive time during the day.
