Sleep is one of, if not the most important thing that we cannot live without, especially in our fast-paced modern society. More often than not, our sleep hours are already cut down to the bare minimum as it is, so getting the best quality sleep possible should be one of our main goals to maximize what little time we have to get some shut-eye.
When it comes to improving sleep quality, most people focus on getting the proper mattress, the most comfortable sheets, the most ergonomic and supportive pillows, and so on. But did you know that the air we breathe while our body has shut down can greatly affect our sleep quality as well?
Air quality: the invisible factor
When we enter a room with nice scents, or have the smell of good food, it affects our mood greatly in a positive way. Likewise, bad odors and unpleasant smells affect us negatively. But this isn’t the only way the air can affect us.
A study done by Insaf Altun, Nursan Cinar, and Cemile Dede titled “The contributing factors to poor sleep experiences in according to the university students: A cross-sectional study” focused on sleep problems among university students. Their findings showed that among the most frequent self-reported causes of poor sleep experiences by the students (with a sample size of 256: 107 male and 149 female) was air quality of the room, which is on the upper half of the top reasons the students cited. Air quality affected the sleep of these students more than fatigue, feeling sad, noise, anxiety, or the smell of the room.
This is not the only study done on the effects of air quality on sleep. Another study done by Chenxi Liao and Jelle Laverge, published in the Oxford Academic titled “Association between Indoor Air Quality and Sleep Quality” focused on 25 19-25 year olds recruited from the university dorm, divided into two groups, and were studied based on high and low ventilation scenarios. And yet another done by Peter Strøm-Tejsen of Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, Pawel Wargocki David P Wyon of the Technical University of Denmark, and Anna Kondracka titled “The effect of air quality on sleep” was a very detailed study that screened subjects based on many things, among which is if they are suffering from pulmonary issues like asthma or have allergies or sensitive skin.
In both studies, the findings were clear, that subjects found it easier to fall asleep when the air is fresh, and in these cases, that meant having the windows open for fresher air to come in.
However, there are many cases, especially in modern city dwellings or places where air pollution is rampant, that cracking the window open is not possible, or not advisable. But what exactly happens when you can’t make your air circulate?
Stale air and its negative side-effects
Stale air, also known as uncirculated or poorly circulated air, is what happens when the air in a room cannot be moved and replaced with cleaner, fresher air. Rooms with poor circulation, no windows, or enclosed for hours on end while people are inside are locations of stale air, and this is definitely a problem.
Stale air can cause breeding grounds of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), which are caused by bacteria and fungi growth. This can happen because of the increase in humidity in the air caused by exhaling breaths, which also contributes to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the enclosed space.
A study on The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology done by Jonathan A. Bernstein, MD, Neil Alexis, PhD, Hyacinth Bacchus, NP et. al. titled “The health effects of nonindustrial indoor air pollution” showed that MVOCs, among other indoor air pollutants, can cause health effects ranging from nose and throat irritation and fatigue, to extreme cases like headaches and other symptoms of “sick building syndrome” or SBS.
And of course these don’t just magically go away once it is bedtime and the lights are off. MVOCs and other pollutants are still present while you’re asleep, and since air quality can severely affect sleep, then these are definitely factors that need to be considered. Especially if you are living in space prone to stale air, like a studio-type condominium or apartment, during this time of pandemic when you are probably forced to stay at home longer than before. The risk definitely becomes higher.
UVC air sterilizers for better sleep
As we have discussed in our previous blog posts, UVC air sterilizers can inactivate viruses, kill bacteria, and deal with MVOCs and other air pollutants. UVGI or Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Air Cleaners have been listed by the Environmental Protection Agency in a document titled “Residential Air Cleaners: A Technical Summary” as one of the ways to reduce the viability of vegetative bacteria and molds, but only under the caveat that the system has to be properly designed and that the right dosage and exposure be done.
Conclusion
Using the right UVC air sterilizer means less pollutants and MVOCs in the air. Which means the better the sleep quality. If you want to get your own effective UVC air sterilizer, contact us and we’ll be happy get you started!