Last Updated on: 29th September 2023, 10:40 pm
Putting certain plants in a bedroom is beneficial for sleep. Some greenery releases soothing aromas that promote restfulness, while others also improve the air quality in the bedroom.
The best oxygen-producing plants for bedrooms include spider plants, peace lilies, aloe vera, snake plants, rubber plants, golden pothos, areca palms, money plants, tulsi plants, and gardenias.
Not all air-purifying plants for bedrooms are size-appropriate, and some are higher maintenance than others. The ideal addition will mean you can sleep and breathe easier with minimal fuss.
Is it OK to Have Plants in Your Bedroom?
Some people like to sleep in a comparatively spartan room devoid of decorative flourishes. Others want to add personal flair to a bedroom, such as using vibrant paint colors or adding plants.
There’s much to like about introducing greenery into a bedroom, especially if you don’t have a backyard. Indoor and Built Environment said that plants enhance our quality of life, including sleep quality.
Benefits of Having Plants in A Bedroom
The Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences said plants can remove harmful airborne microbes.
However, you must still be careful when decorating. When plastering a room, a plant won’t absorb dust particles, and toxic paint fumes will remain problematic due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Plants can improve air quality and ventilation, which is invaluable in a large, noisy city. In such locations, you’re unlikely to open your windows for ventilation due to road noise and air pollution.
What’s more, plants can increase humidity in a bedroom. Some humidity in the room will help you breathe easier, staving off dry eyes and sore throats.
Of course, plants add aesthetic appeal to a bedroom, as greenery can look amazing.
Risks of Having Plants in A Bedroom
Given that plants emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during photosynthesis, you may be concerned about sharing a bedroom with greenery.
According to Plant, Cell & Environment, plants react to differences in light and darkness, and photosynthesis ceases overnight. CO2 released daily is tempered by oxygen, and the plants are safe to share a room with once the sun goes down.
Damage or injury is the main risk of sleeping in a bedroom with plants. For example, you may trip over a plant pot when it’s dark. Equally, pets may knock plants over plants.
What Are the Best Plants for Bedroom Air Quality?
If you’re looking for plants that’ll improve oxygenation in your bedroom, don’t just visit the local garden center and pick whatever looks prettiest. Not all plant life enhances air quality.
The question you need to ask yourself may not be, “Which plant purifies the air the most?” and “Which plant is best suited to my space and décor?”
Here are some plants commonly used to improve the oxygen supply in a bedroom:
1/ Spider Plant
The spider plant is among the most popular indoor plants.
Named for their easily identifiable, sprawling leaves that dangle, they are among the hardiest plants.
A complete novice can successfully take care of a spider plant.
Spider plants thrive in cool conditions, making them ideal for sleep. They can grow in dim light.
If you occasionally forget to water a spider plant for a few days, it won’t matter.
Spider plants can hang from a basket or sit atop a flat surface. The plant will extract as much as 90% of the formaldehyde found in many everyday household products from the air.
2/ Peace Lily
The peace lily is an evergreen plant that improves humidity indoors by up to 5%.
That’s ideal for anybody who struggles with dry eyes, nose, or throat in the bedroom.
In doing so, the plant will filter anything inappropriate from the air and improve oxygen levels.
Peace lilies can get pretty big, so ensure you have space for this plant in your bedroom. It won’t require much pruning. Peace lilies are as simple to care for and easy on the eye.
All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. You’re unlikely to eat a peace lily, but keep this in mind if you share a bedroom with curious pets like cats, dogs, and rabbits.
3/ Aloe Vera
Many of us sleep wearing aloe vera on our faces due to its therapeutic properties.
The aloe vera plant is also a reliable oxygen producer. NASA considers it the best air-purifying plant in the world.
Unlike most plants, aloe vera continues to produce oxygen overnight. If this isn’t reason enough to celebrate the aloe vera plant, it absorbs the CO2 expelled while breathing at night.
The plant needs around 6 hours of sunlight per day, but it holds water in its leaves. You can fail to water this plant for 1-2 weeks, and it’ll likely experience no ill effects.
4/ Snake Plant
The snake plant is like the spider plant. Not just because they’re both named after animals that many people are afraid of, but because it’s just as effective at purifying formaldehyde.
The difference is that this plant’s leaves grow straight upward.
The snake plant is also comparable to aloe vera in releasing oxygen throughout the night.
This will keep the air in your bedroom breathable and increase your likelihood of remaining asleep.
The snake plant likes to remain dry, so don’t overwater the soil. Once every 2 weeks will suffice, but you can get away with once a month during the winter.
This plant tolerates all light conditions but thrives when kept out of direct sunlight.
5/ Rubber Plant
Despite its name, the rubber plant isn’t artificial. It still needs to be cared for, just like any living greenery.
The reward for undertaking this care includes an almost wholesale removal of formaldehyde from the air.
Rubber plants will thrive in a bedroom, kept by a window protected by curtains.
This will allow enough light and heat without overpowering the plant. Rubber plants can also flourish without too much watering.
If you get a young rubber plant, be prepared for it to grow into a rubber tree eventually. This plant can reach heights of up to 15 feet, so its suitability may need to be reassessed.
6/ Golden Pothos
The golden pothos is often nicknamed “the cubicle plant” due to its omnipresence in workplaces across America.
The plant cheers up surroundings and improves air quality by filtering unwanted chemicals from the air and neutralizing unwanted odors.
A golden pothos plant is happiest in bright but indirect light, so avoid placing it directly within a south-facing window. Don’t worry because it’s a hardy plant.
It should be watered once a week and flourishes at any humidity level. Ensure the temperature is kept at 60-85 degrees.
Keep the golden pothos at a height that pets can’t reach because it can lead to irritation if eaten.
7/ Areca Palm
This elegant palm tree releases moisture into the bedroom air. Don’t let the humidity overwhelm the atmosphere.
Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology describe areca palm as a purifier, sucking CO2 from the air.
They enjoy access to light (avoid scorching leaves with direct sunlight) and keep them out of draughty areas.
You’ll need to regularly water your areca palm to ensure it remains healthy. Temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees will help the plant grow and thrive.
8/ Money Plant
Dedicated feng shui followers recommend avoiding plants in the bedroom, but an expectation is made for the money plant.
The money tree has a reputation as a neutralizer of airborne chemicals and for calming stress and anxiety.
Money plants need daily sunlight with shade, so try placing them under a sheer curtain.
Temperatures should be 65-85 degrees. Water a money plant every 3 weeks to cultivate its growth.
9/ Tulsi Plant (Holy Basil)
Known as Holy Basil in its native India, the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medicine refers to tulsi as a ‘herb for all seasons.’
This plant is popular in alternative therapy circles due to the qualities that make it ideal for the bedroom.
The main reason is that the tulsi plant pumps oxygen into the air. It can provide as much as 20 hours of air in an enclosed space while absorbing and filtering carbon monoxide.
The Tulsi plant can create an urban oasis amid a city with questionable air quality. The plant flourishes in temperatures of 70 degrees and above and must be regularly watered.
10/Gardenia
The Gardenia is a beautiful flower that can be grown indoors.
It’s undeniably the highest maintenance bloom on this list, struggling to grow and flourish in anything but perfect climes.
Gardenias thrive at 61 degrees, although this can drop by up to 10 degrees.
The plant needs light to flourish, so a well-lit, south-facing bedroom is recommended. Keep the plant out of direct sunlight.
Gardenias are something of a Goldilocks plant, and you’ll need to get the watering levels just right.
If you keep a gardenia alive, you’ll be richly rewarded. As well as purifying the air, the plant naturally relieves anxiety and promotes a good night’s sleep.
As air quality is critical to sleep, get some greenery to add oxygen to a bedroom. This is essential, especially if you live in a larger town or city with questionable air quality.
