Every time the temperatures rise (and there are many days of extreme heat this year), we need to find formulas to cool off especially in order to sleep well. Using a fan can be one of these sources, but spending the day (and especially the night) sticking to this device can also have negative consequences.

The role of humidity.
One of the ways fans can keep us cool is to help get rid of sweat. Sweat is our body’s natural way of dissipating heat. The mechanism is simple: Our body heat is transferred to the water we secrete, and when it evaporates, this excess heat is also dissipated. Fans can assist in this process (at least if humidity is low).

Although the effect of fans is not as pronounced as the effect of air conditioning, sleeping with someone nearby can not only cause us to sweat, but also dry out our airways. This can cause irritation when we wake up.

allergens
The second of the problems that can cause us to sleep with one of these devices especially affects people with allergies. Wind currents produced by a fan can carry allergens such as dust (or mites associated with it), pollen or hair. Allergic reactions to these can vary, but they do not in all cases help with restful sleep.

Balance.
However, the fans also have their advantages. The most obvious is that they fulfill their mission, that is, they refresh us. Sleeping is a task that is sometimes impossible when the heat is under pressure, and lowering the temperature by a few degrees can help us rest better. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to resort to various strategies to cool the environment.

Fans have another advantage, and interestingly, something many electrical appliances struggle with: noise. The sound of the blades of a fan can help us fall asleep while listening to it in the background, as it is a soft and monotonous sound that can mask other more annoying ones and encourage us to sleep in general.

Avoid adverse effects.
There are ways to take advantage of fans while minimizing their negative impact. The first way to do this is to avoid direct airflow. Placing the fan at a certain distance from us and making it oscillate can help us in this regard. Note that the fan removes air, allowing warm, lighter air to rise to the top of the room and cold air to descend.

It is enough to keep the humidity in the room at a certain level to avoid the problem of dryness. It is not convenient to go too far, because at high temperatures and humidity the fan does not disperse it from our skin.

It’s best to prevent them from accumulating to make sure the fan removes allergens from our room. In this context, keeping the device clean is also highly recommended. Finally, we must not forget to set the timer to turn off the fan. If our device does not have this function, we can use an external one.

We have other resources.
A fan alone is unlikely to keep us warm these days. That’s why it’s important to know more resources to keep us fresh. It is very important that our home is well ventilated. Knowing which textiles allow us to dissipate heat more can also help us rest properly. Staying hydrated is also always a good idea.

Sleeping can be a difficult task for many, which can have a negative impact on our health, well-being and productivity, especially during the summer months. But risking other components of our health may not be worth it. Therefore, there are always strategies to avoid heat-related problems. Learning these strategies will be crucial to adapting to our new environment.

Image | Marius Matushzik