Is it harmful to sleep with the air conditioner on?

Although air conditioning is considered a solution to help sleep more comfortably, its impact on the respiratory tract is still a concern for many people. Many questions have been raised, whether sleeping with air conditioning affects respiratory health or how to use it properly.

Bachelor Mai Thi Thuy, Department of Nutrition, Xuyen A General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that using air conditioning while sleeping does not harm the human respiratory system. However, if used incorrectly or improperly, it can cause some problems related to the respiratory tract.

Cold air easily dries out the mucous membranes in the nose (which protect the respiratory tract, preventing bacteria and viruses from entering the lungs and causing infection) and the mucous membranes in the throat, causing discomfort and difficulty breathing. If the environment is too dry and not humid enough, the human body can become dehydrated and reduce resistance, leading to susceptibility to respiratory infections, and even worsening asthma in young children.

In particular, this will have a negative impact on people with chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, the elderly, many underlying diseases, and weak resistance. Many studies have shown that too cold air will make people with asthma or hypersensitive lung disease more susceptible to bronchospasm, causing asthma attacks.

Air conditioners that are not cleaned for a long time can carry certain pathogens.

PHOTO: LE CAM

In addition, air conditioners that have not been cleaned for a long time can carry certain pathogens. At that time, there is a lot of dust inside the machine, even pathogenic microorganisms, causing health problems related to the respiratory tract such as rhinitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis and flu.

"When sleeping, avoid sleeping in a place where the air conditioner blows directly on your face or head because it can cause nasal congestion and sore throat. In addition, to create humidity in the air when using air conditioning, you can use a humidifier at a moderate level or place a pot of water in a corner of the bedroom," recommended bachelor Mai Thi Thuy.

What to do to avoid "CO₂ gas trap" when turning on air conditioning in a closed room

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, an expert at the Vietnam - Russia High Pressure Oxygen Center ( Ministry of Defense ), an adult releases about 120-160 liters of CO ₂ in 8 hours of sleep in a 20 m² room (volume 60 m³). The amount of CO ₂ increases proportionally to the number of people in the room. In addition, if the room is closed, the door is closed to keep it cool, reducing natural air exchange, creating conditions for CO ₂ to accumulate, affecting health.

However, there is no need to give up air conditioning, but users need to change their habits to control _CO2 . Below are some solutions recommended by Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang.

• Leave the window open 5-10 cm while sleeping or at least open it a few times during the night to allow air exchange.
• Use a ventilation fan or air conditioner with fresh air, prioritize high-end models with CO₂ sensors.
• Install a CO₂ meter in your bedroom for real-time monitoring.
• Clean the air conditioner regularly and maintain humidity at 40-60% to aid breathing.
• Avoid placing too many plants in the bedroom because at night, plants also… emit CO₂.

In the long term, Dr. Hoang recommends long-term research on the effects of moderately high _CO2 concentrations in sensitive groups, development of efficient, affordable integrated ventilation air conditioners, and housing design that prioritizes natural and mechanical ventilation.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bat-dieu-hoa-khi-ngu-co-hai-cho-phoi-va-mui-khong-185251113201757658.htm