The quality of air in a bedroom is vital to sleeping well.
The deeper and fresher any breaths we take, the more likely we will enjoy a prolonged and restful sleep. This leads some of us to consider getting air purifiers for a bedroom.
Clean air makes it easier to take and release deep breaths while we sleep. This slow, steady breathing makes 8 hours of uninterrupted slumber more likely.
People with sleep apnea, obstructive pulmonary conditions, or allergies will find an air purifier particularly beneficial in the bedroom.
If you’re committed to improving the air quality in your bedroom, you’ll need to get a reputable purifier. Doing so can make a big difference to your sleep.
What Does an Air Purifier Do in a Bedroom?
The purpose of an air purifier is to cleanse the air particles in your home.
If an air purifier does its job, it’ll eradicate unwelcome odors from the atmosphere and any lingering dust, smoke, or dander released by pets.
This sounds enticing, especially when Atmospheric Environment confirms that indoor air quality plays a significant role in everyday health. Neutralizing air pollution threats is essential to sleep quality, especially if you live in an urban area.
Air purifiers do their work by sucking air through one or multiple filters, capturing pollutants within, and releasing clean air back into the room. These filters must be changed regularly to ensure the purifier operates at maximum efficiency.
Does My Bedroom Need an Air Purifier?
If your bedroom attracts pollutants, an air purifier is a good investment. Any bedroom can attract impurities in the air, but pollutants are more likely if any of the following apply:
- Smoking cigarettes or vapes
- Free-roaming pets, most notably cats or dogs
- Living in a city where windows are opened for ventilation
- Wood-burning stove or equivalent
- Cleaning supplies in spray cans, such as air fresheners
An air purifier is also advisable if you have recently plastered a wall, as the appliance will manage the dust particles in the air. You may also consider using an air purifier if you have just painted your bedroom.
In this instance, ensure that your purifier captures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – this isn’t a standard offering on many air purifier models.
How Long Does It Take An Air Purifier To Clean A Room?
An air purifier may thoroughly cleanse the atmosphere in your bedroom in as little as 30 minutes, or it could take upward of four or five hours.
Some of the factors that will influence the speed of purification include:
- Size of the room, as larger rooms, especially those with high ceilings, take longer to clear
- The severity of the air pollution in the room
- How long it has been since the last purification
- Power and quality of the air purifier
You should notice a difference in air quality and sleep quality almost immediately after air purification. Give the appliance about 20 minutes to perform its duties. When you take a deep breath, the room should smell fresher.
How Much Does an Air Purifier Cost?
Air purifiers vary in asking price, but they also offer variable performance levels.
Before getting in an air purifier, do some research to ensure that you’re not wasting money on a sub-standard product.
Air purifiers cost money to maintain. You’ll be spending up to $100 a year on replacement filters, and as air purifiers need to be plugged into an electric socket and run constantly, your power bills will increase.
Is it Safe to Sleep with An Air Purifier?
No matter how high-quality an air purifier may be, it can only sustain clean air for so long.
Once the cycle is complete, it needs to begin again. This means that an air purifier needs to be plugged in constantly, including during your hours in bed. You could set your purifier to a timer, so it switches off while you sleep, but overnight is when you’ll need it most.
It’s typically considered safe to sleep with an air purifier in your bedroom. Look for models with a ‘night mode’ or ‘sleep mode.’ These will be designed to run overnight while you’re in the room, operating with lower light and noise levels.
Any appliance can keep you awake at night, including air purifiers, if you’re an exceptionally light sleeper. If this applies to you, consider using plants in your bedroom to improve air quality instead. Some greenery can be regarded as nature’s air purifier.
Where to Place an Air Purifier in a Bedroom
If you decide to sleep with an air purifier, your next step is understanding where to place it. Like any electrical appliance in the bedroom, it pays off to position your purifier carefully.
If you’re wondering, “can I sleep next to an air purifier?” the answer is yes; the appliance won’t emit any radiation or dangerous chemicals. It’s never great to sleep right next to a mechanism, though.
In the case of an air purifier, the white noise it emits could keep you awake at night if you’re too close, plus it will give off a little heat. Remember that your air purifier needs to be plugged into a wall outlet, so you’ll risk tripping over trailing cables.
The safest place to keep an air purifier is around 14 inches from your bed and two meters away from other electrical appliances like TVs or computers. Give the purifier enough space to work, and keep it away from anything that could block the filters, including curtains.
Will an Air Purifier Help Me Sleep?
When you take a vacation to the countryside, you likely sleep well.
You could argue that this is because you are away from your daily stresses and concerns. The reality is that breathing in pure air will always improve sleep.
Sadly, it’s tough to find unspoiled, unpolluted air in many locations. This is especially true in a city, where opening your window will invite plumes of smoke, vehicle exhaust fumes, and traffic noise.
Keeping your windows firmly closed alone does not help, though. It’s claimed by Indoor Air that there are likely even more pollutants in the atmosphere inside a house than out. An air purifier is the closest thing to bringing deep lungfuls of fresh mountain air to your home.
Fresh air helps us sleep better because of steadier, more relaxed breathing. The clearer the air, the likelier we are to sleep through the night uninterrupted.
Low-quality air can leave us short of breath at night, resulting in the body and brain exchanging panicked messages, waking us and encouraging us to breathe deeply.
If you have obstructive pulmonary disease like asthma or COPD, an air purifier is definitely recommended in your bedroom. A clinical trial outlined in Respiratory Medicine confirms that purified air reduces bronchial inflammation.
Do Air Purifiers Help with Sleep Apnea?
As discussed, substandard air quality leads to shortness of breath during the night. This will become increasingly prevalent in anybody that lives with sleep apnea. After all, this condition revolves around breathing, stopping, and restarting countless times overnight.
By running an air purifier, sleep apnea can be controlled. Somebody with a minor case is less likely to struggle for breath.
If you require a sleep apnea mask overnight, consult a doctor before switching to an air purifier. These appliances can perform incredible feats, but they’re not medical equipment and shouldn’t be treated as such.
Do Air Purifiers Help Control Allergies?
People that live with allergens will be among the biggest beneficiaries of an air purifier overnight. The purifier’s filters will trap pet dander, pollen, or other allergen and remove them from the air.
This doesn’t mean that you can start sleeping with the windows open in the summer. Air purifiers need to operate in a confined space. It will offer respite, though, especially for people with hay fever that bring pollen into a home and suffer the consequence overnight.
Are There Any Risks to Sleeping with an Air Purifier?
We’ve established the benefits of applying an air purifier to a bedroom, but are there any hazards? Is sleeping with an air purifier bad for any reason?
In theory, there are no issues sleeping with an air purifier. There are some minor annoyances like the white noise previously mentioned, but nothing that will place your health at risk.
Your energy bills will also be a little higher as you’re running an electrical appliance all night. Thankfully, high-end air purifiers are energy efficient, so you should notice too much difference. If you’re worried about costs, use plants instead.
Not all air purifiers are equal. Like any consumer product, some purifiers will be more efficient than others. Ensure you get an effective air purifier, or you’ll just be running an appliance for no reason.
What is the Best Air Purifier for Sleeping?
If you’re interested in an air purifier for your bedroom, consider a handful of factors. These include:
- Size – you’ll need a purifier big enough to do its job but not so oversized that it dominates a bedroom.
- Noise – as you’ll be keeping the air purifier on all night, ensure that your choice of model isn’t too loud while in operation.
- Light – look for an air purifier that doesn’t boast a range of unnecessary flashing lights that could keep you up at night.
- Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) – the most critical metric, CADR measures how effective the air purifier will be at removing pollutants.
When reviewing the CADR of your air purifier, learn how large your bedroom is in terms of square feet. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers recommends shopping for a purifier with a CADR of roughly 2/3 the size of your room.
Before committing to an air purifier, consider your needs carefully, as it won’t be a frivolous purchase. All the same, it’s hard to attribute a financial value to the importance of a good night’s sleep. If you’re prone to apnea, allergies, or low-quality air in your bedroom at night, an air purifier could change your life.
