Sleeping with Air Conditioning: Weighing the Pros and Cons of a New Sleep Norm

During hot summer days, air conditioning is undoubtedly a "necessity" for many people to get a good night's sleep. However, the debate about the pros and cons of sleeping with air conditioning has never ceased.

Benefits of Sleeping with Air Conditioning: Creating the Ideal Sleep Environment

Scientific research shows that a suitable sleep environment is crucial for ensuring sleep quality. Excessive temperatures can disrupt the body's normal sleep processes, leading to difficulty falling asleep, lighter sleep, and increased awakenings.

  • Creating ideal sleep temperature and humidity: The human body falls asleep more easily in relatively cool environments. Air conditioning can effectively regulate and maintain indoor temperature and humidity within the ideal range, creating favorable conditions for high-quality sleep.
  • Improving sleep quality: Cool environments help the body enter deeper levels of sleep, avoiding sleep disruption from excessive sweating and allowing the body to get more adequate rest.
  • Advantages over opening windows and using fans: Using air conditioning can avoid interference from outdoor noise, light, dust, and allergens, and is more effective than fans in cooling and dehumidifying.

Drawbacks of Not Using Air Conditioning: Sleep Difficulties in Hot Environments

In hot and humid environments without air conditioning, sleep quality often suffers significantly and may cause a series of negative effects on physical and mental health.

  • Physiological effects: High-temperature environments increase the burden on the cardiovascular system and may cause dehydration due to excessive sweating, exacerbating conditions in patients with underlying diseases.
  • Psychological effects: Stuffy environments easily lead to negative emotions such as irritability and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle of difficulty falling asleep and poor mood.
  • Disrupted sleep structure: In high-temperature environments, deep sleep time is significantly reduced while awakening and light sleep time increases, leading to inadequate rest.

How to Use Air Conditioning Healthily for Better Sleep?

While air conditioning has many benefits, improper use can also lead to "air conditioning sickness." Therefore, mastering the correct usage methods is crucial:

  • Set reasonable temperatures: It's recommended to set nighttime air conditioning temperature between 26°C to 28°C and enable "sleep mode" to avoid being too cold in the latter half of the night.
  • Avoid direct cold air flow: Point the air conditioning vents upward, utilizing the principle that cold air sinks to allow uniform temperature reduction throughout the room.
  • Maintain indoor humidity: Place a basin of water in the room or use a humidifier to alleviate discomfort from dry air.
  • Pay attention to ventilation: Open windows for ventilation at least half an hour each morning and evening to keep indoor air fresh.
  • Regular air conditioning cleaning: Regularly clean air conditioning filters and internal components to prevent bacteria and dust from spreading indoors.