Find out what is the right humidity for sleeping. To find out what makes the best bedroom, and how to tweak yours for a healthier you.”
| Source | Recommended Humidity Range | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep Doctor | 40% to 60% | Ideal for reducing indoor pollutants and improving sleep quality. |
| Sleep Foundation | 30% to 50% (never exceed 60%) | EPA recommendation; higher humidity can lead to mold and dust mites. |
| Casper Blog | 30% to 50% | EPA recommendation; helps maintain health and comfort during sleep. |
| Purecare | Around 50% (within 30% to 60%) | Ideal for sleep and daytime activities; maintains comfort and health. |
| Trane | 30% to 50% | EPA recommendation; seasonal adjustments suggested. |
| CoolToday | 30% to 50% | Prevents health issues like sinus infections and promotes better sleep. |
| IAQ.Works | 40% to 60% | Optimal for comfort, health, and air quality; reduces allergies and asthma symptoms. |
| Sensitive Choice | 30% to 60% | General recommendation for indoor environments. |
Sleep is one of the most important processes for health and well-being. But we ignore how environmental conditions like humidity can have an affect on sleep quality. Humidity — the level of moisture in the air — is a crucial component of sleep quality and can influence both our physical health and comfort.
Humidity and Sleep: What You Need to Know
Humidity: How Does It Affect Your Sleep Quality?
Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. Relative humidity (RH) is usually given as a percentage, and indicates how much moisture there is in the air, versus how much it can hold at a particular temperature. But what does this mean for sleep?
High or low humidity can interfere with your sleep cycles such as REM (rapid eye movement) and deep sleep stages. These are the most restorative stages of sleep, when the body repairs itself and stores memories. Humidity levels that are too low or too high can cause discomfort, irritation in the throat or nose, respiratory problems and more trouble getting to or staying asleep.
A high-level overview: Sleep is better with good humidity because the right level of humidity makes a comfortable environment where sweating, dryness, or congested breathing can occur and makes for a more relaxed and restful sleep.
Recommended Humidity Levels for Sleep
So, What’s The Ideal Humidity for Sleeping?
Ideally according to experts, the best humidity for sleeping is 30% to 50%, with some suggesting rising 60% in certain climates. This range provides a balance: It’s not so dry that it irritates your throat and skin, or so humid that it makes you sweat and feel uncomfortable.
That range, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is ideal for comfort and health. The humidity level of the room you sleep in can:
- Easier for you to breathe at night.
- Avoid irritation of nose and throat.
- Decrease the risk of growing mold or allergens in your bedroom
- Make your sleeping space calm and comfy.
Why It Matters
The reason for this is that your body, at the most basic level, is just trying to maintain homeostasis — we want it to be comfortable, but when humidity levels are outside the recommended range, your body is working harder to regulate its temperature. This results in restlessness, sweating or dryness, which interrupt your sleeping. By regulating humidity levels your body can utilize its natural processes to get a good night’s sleep without calories and discomfort.
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Impact of High Humidity on Sleep
How High Humidity Affects Sleep Quality
High humidity, which can result from warm climates or poor ventilation, can leave your bedroom feeling stuffy and uncomfortable. This kind of atmosphere also disrupts your body’s ability to regulate its temperature, which results in too much sweating and broken sleep cycles.
Frequently Experienced Effects of High Humidity on Sleep:
- Restlessness and Wakefulness: Your body has trouble releasing heat, so it’s harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- More Sweaty:Extra moisture in the braking air makes it difficult to evaporate the sweating, leading to you feeling sticky and unequipped.
- Breathing Problems: High humidity can aggravate respiratory conditions, particularly when there are allergens such as mold or dust mites in the atmosphere.
How Humidity Stops Sleep Stages from Repeating
So when your body gets overheated because of too much moisture in the air, it could keep you from getting into the deeper stages of sleep that your body requires. Instead, you might wake up more often, leaving you groggy and unrested in the morning.
How Low Humidity Affects Your Sleep
How Low Humidity Affects Your Sleep
On the other hand, low humidity can dry the air to the point of causing a slew of problems that affect your sleep quality. Dry air is especially prevalent in colder climates or during winter when homes have dozers on that vivisects moisture from the environment.
Health Impacts of Dry Air:
- Dehydration: Dry air can also dehydrate your body, increasing the risk of developing dry skin, cracked lips, and thirst at night.
- Dry Nasal Passages: A low humidity atmosphere can dry out nasal passages and cause breathing discomfort.
- Higher Chances of Getting Sick: The dry air dries your always wet layers of activity so you have increased chances of a cold or something stronger.
Effects of Low Humidity on Sleep
Inexorably, when the air is too dry, it can contribute to scratchy throats and coughing, and even snoring, all of which interrupt your ability to drift into a deep, restorative sleep. You might also feel thirsty or have a dry mouth when you wake up, breaking your sleep cycle even more.
Identifying Humidity Problems In Your Bedroom
Signs of Bedroom Humidity Being Off
When your bedroom’s humidity levels are out of whack, it isn’t always easy to tell. There are, however, clear signs to look out for indicating if the air is too dry or too humid.
Signs of High Humidity:
- Water dripping down the windows or appearance of water on the walls.
- A musty odor or signs of mold growth.
- Night sweats excessive sweating while asleep.
Signs of Low Humidity:
- This could manifest as dry, itchy skin or chapped lips.
- Vampire: Frequent nosebleeds or a scratchy throat.
- Fabrics getting charged by static electricity.
Using a Hygrometer
One of the easiest ways to measure the humidity in your bedroom is by utilizing a hygrometer, an instrument that measures the relative humidity in the air. Most hygrometers are cheap and easily obtainable, so they’re a great means of testing the humidity level in your bedroom to ensure that it remains within the ideal range.
How to Adjust Bedroom Humidity Levels
The Best Humidity for Sleeping: How to Achieve It
How to Maintain Ideal Humidity Levels in Your Bedroom Here are a few simple tips to help you design an environment that promotes restful sleep:
Consider using a humidifier or dehumidifier
- Humidifiers work by adding moisture to the surrounding air, making them perfect for fighting back against low humidity levels in the winter.
- Dehumidifiers extract excess moisture from the air—ideal if you’re in a humid part of the world.
Ventilate Your Bedroom
Well-ventilated space is your ally in fighting back high humidity. Open windows during the day, or turn on exhaust fans to keep air moving.
Invest in a Hygrometer
You can use a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels in your bedroom and know when to intervene.
Keep a steady temperature
Temperature and humidity are closely related. Maintaining a cooler room temperature (you need to be between 60–67°F or 15–19°C) in your bedroom can also help regulate the humidity in your environment.
A Quick Comparison Table
| Problem | Solution |
| High humidity | Use a dehumidifier. Ventilate. |
| Low humidity | Use a humidifier. Add moisture. |
| Uncertain humidity level | Invest in a hygrometer. |
Conclusion
The good humidity level for sleeping is crucial for the improvement of your sleep quality and health. Keeping your bedroom humidity in the sweet spot of 30%–50% makes it comfortable and restorative for sleep.
Do something today about your sleep environment! Measure your bedroom’s humidity levels, and raise or lower them as needed, then see how much better you sleep. Sweet dreams!
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