Air Quality VS Sleep Quality
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Sleep quality is something that many of us strive for and of course, there are so many different ways out there to help improve that quality from the use of natural herbs and oils to long warm baths and meditation. But, have you ever stopped to think about how your air quality can affect your sleep quality? It’s true, there is a direct link between the two and if you think about how much time you actually spend where you sleep you can start to understand why the quality of the air you breathe is so important.
The Importance of Sleep
How important is sleep? Sleep quality has a major impact on your life from the way you function mentally to how you perform physically. Just think about it, when you’re tired, your focus isn’t at peak performance, your muscles tend to feel fatigued and your reactions may not be as quick. This is why driving late at night or early in the morning tends to result in the occurrence of more accidents; people are generally more tired at those times. Over time, a lack of quality sleep can also lead to more serious health concerns such as cancer or cardiovascular-related illnesses. That itself is enough for one to start scrambling to increase their quality of slumber. Now, don’t get this mixed up and think because you pulled an all-nighter you’re suddenly at risk for developing a health-related issue. No, these things are caused by a continuous buildup of lack of slumber. So, please, consider the importance of sleep to your health.
Air Pollution
During different times of the year, the air quality in your home will change. In the winter months, the air tends to get a little stuffier as we would normally keep the windows closed and the heat turned up. So the same old air just keeps circulating around. The spring and summer time is usually not as bad as we can have the windows open to allow a fresh breeze to run through thus giving us at least some fresh air. So there lay the questions you need to ask yourself: how polluted is air in your home? Do you need a good filtration system? Is the air dry? Is it damp? Does it have a smell? Do you have pets? There are so many different questions that can help lead you in the right direction.
Gizmos and Gadgets
Our world is constantly evolving when it comes to technology; aiding in air quality is just another thing to add to the mix. There are so many devices out there that can test your home air quality and help you in making better choices and allow you to monitor the quality of the air you breathe. I mean common, most of us can’t just walk into a room and take a breath and say ‘the air is a little too dry in here’, or ‘the quality of the air you’re breathing is too low’. No, we need all the assistance we can get. Some of these gadgets are small, compact, and modern which you can place easily on your bookshelf or tv stand.
What Can We Do?
There are several things that you can do to improve the air quality in our home thus helping to improve your quality of sleep. First, go green. Get some plants in your home, maybe a few on your windowsill in your bedroom. Lemon plants are a great idea here as they have a light fresh fragrance and help filter the air. If you find that your air is dry and stuffy and you feel like you’re suffering from flu-like symptoms? Then you need to research what the best whole house humidifiers are. Humidifiers add moisture to the air through either cool mist or warm depending on the humidifier you choose. If you find the air in your house is damp then you are going to want to invest in a dehumidifier. Extra humidity in your home can affect your breathing which can break up your sleep resulting in poor quality of sleep. Some homes have air exchangers built in which can help reduce the indoor air pollution.
Conclusion
So, as we start making changes in our lives to better ourselves through eating healthy, exercising, being more proactive etc. We must not dismiss the air quality of our homes and how it affects our sleep. Dust and particles in the air we breathe are inevitable, however, we can help to reduce those allergens, balance the air’s moisture levels and increase the overall quality. There are fantastic little gadgets that can help guide you in the right direction on what needs to decrease or increase. Utilize that technology to create a better atmosphere in your home.
