The Link Between Clean Air and Deeper Sleep

You have great sleep hygiene: You go to bed around the same time every night, put your gadgets away a few hours before slumber, and sleep in a pitch-black, silent room. And yet, you still wake up feeling exhausted and groggy. There might be a mostly invisible villain at play: air pollution. In this blog, learn how air quality can impact how well you sleep, and thus, how you feel when you wake up in the morning and throughout the day. 

Air Quality and Sleep: What’s the Connection?

In some cases, research has identified specific contaminants that can negatively affect your sleep. For example, in one study, high carbon dioxide levels were associated with a 4.0% decline in sleep efficiency, compared to low levels. Additionally, high PM2.5 (particular matter) was linked to a 3.5% decline compared to low PM2.5. 

More broadly speaking, though, it seems that the reason air pollution can impact sleep quality so significantly is because of the impact it has on breathing and other respiratory matters, like sleep apnea—a disorder marked by brief interruptions in breathing during sleep.

More specifically, imagine if poor air quality causes your allergies to wreak havoc or your asthma or bronchitis symptoms to rear their ugly heads. This can lead to pain, discomfort, dryness, and inflammation in your nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs, making it harder to breathe.

Snoring is another consideration. If you snore at night you are not getting the high-quality slumber you could be. Research tells us that snoring is more common in homes with dampness and air pollution.

All of this is further compounded because when you lie down, a few things happen. For starters, all of your muscles relax, and that includes your throat muscles, which means your throat can actually narrow. Plus, when you lay down, mucus pools in the back of your throat (don’t panic—this is normal because of gravity!), and that’s why some people feel congested or irritated when they’re horizontal.

Now, add to that any damage caused by air pollutants, and you might have a pretty hard time getting enough of the deep sleep that your body so desperately needs.

Shouldn’t the AC Filter the Air in My Home?

There’s a widespread misconception that air conditioners purify the air in your home. Yes, it’s true that your AC uses a filter, and that filter might trap large particles, like hair. 

However, ACs are not designed to filter the air. Furthermore, many people don’t change them as frequently as they should. Even if you do change your filters regularly, again, this is not what your AC is meant to do in the first place.

What’s Polluting the Air You Breathe?

While contaminants can vary from home to home depending on a number of factors (like living near livestock or construction), some of the more common pollutants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, mold/moisture, smoke, aerosols, and carbon monoxide.

Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce your exposure:

• If you buy new furniture or carpeting, let it air out in the outdoors for a few days. This will reduce the VOCs it’ll release in your home.

• Ditch your standard scented candles and room sprays. Find brands that sell natural alternatives or make your own with essential oils and other safe ingredients.

• Allow high-moisture areas to air out to prevent mold growth. For instance, crack a window after you bathe.

• Try to avoid burning food in your home. If you smoke, do so outdoors with the doors and windows of your home closed.

• Always have a carbon monoxide detector in the home. 

If you want to leverage technology to purify the air in your home, and since ACs don’t come anywhere close to getting the job done, an air purifier is the device you need.

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Air purifiers are built differently, and some are more effective than others. What it comes down to is the type of filtration they use.

A medical-grade HEPA 13 filter is going to be the most effective and powerful, and layered with additional filters, the purifier can capture 99.9% of particles 0.1 micron in diameter. In addition to HEPA filtration, the Sans air purifier uses a pre-filter, activated carbon filter (with a full pound of carbon to absorb chemicals, odors, VOCs, and gases), and UV-C to target particles large and small, plus pathogens like viruses and bacteria.

The design is lightweight and portable so you can easily move it to any high-traffic area of your home. Sans provides real-time air quality insights and will alert you when it’s time to change the filters. It’s meditation quiet, so even when you’re sleeping or hard at work, it won’t disturb you.

Sans covers up to 1560 square feet of space, able to clean your whole home in an hour. For smaller spaces, like an office, dorm room, or bedroom, consider the Sans Mini, which covers up to 490 square feet of space.

Indoor air pollution can negatively impact your sleep quality, cognitive health, mental wellbeing, respiratory health, and so much more. Learn more about the Sans air technology and how it can keep you and your family healthy.