Now that we are in the thick of summer and heat waves are more present than ever, it’s completely normal to want to turn on the air conditioning at night to sleep without hassle. However, what at first glance may seem like something that helps you rest well can end up being the reason several health problems appear a few days later.
The nurse Jorge Ángel has warned about this through his social networks, explaining the dangers of leaving the air conditioner on while you sleep and how they can be avoided.
The problems that sleeping with air conditioning can cause
The main problem with air conditioning is how it alters the room environment while we sleep. The nurse Jorge Ángel warns that “air conditioning greatly lowers the humidity in the room, and this makes the airways and the skin dry out.” This, although it may seem minor, can have a big impact on our health; therefore, it’s wise to be careful. On one hand, as the nose and throat dry out internally, conditions such as allergies, bronchitis, and asthma can be aggravated. On the other hand, the skin loses its natural hydration, which ends up causing irritation and those bothersome itching feelings.
Moreover, it’s almost certain that you’ve woken up at some point with a stiff neck or a sore back after sleeping with the air on. The nurse explains the scientific reason very clearly: “Spending the whole night with cold air cools the body, and this can trigger cramps or muscle contractions.” This happens because, when exposed to cold air for a prolonged period, the muscles involuntarily tense up to generate heat, producing the discomfort you feel on waking.
Three tips from the nurse for sleeping cool and safely
Despite everything, panic isn’t necessary, since it’s possible to sleep without getting too hot and without harming the body. Jorge Ángel offers three very easy tricks to apply starting today to sleep cool and healthy. The first is to change how you use the device: the key isn’t to sleep with it on, but “turn it on a little before you go to bed and then switch it off”, thereby making sure the room is cool when you lie down without enduring direct cold air all night. As a second option, the expert recalls that “it is much better to use natural ventilation through the windows whenever possible, taking advantage of the early-morning breeze. Finally, if you have no choice but to turn on the air or you live in a very dry place, “it would also be good to use a humidifier” to restore moisture to the room and protect your throat and nose.
In addition, Dr. Josete Torres adds to this warning, seeking to dispel a very common home myth: “Air conditioning cannot cause colds or flu, since these illnesses are produced by viruses, not by changes in temperature.”
The doctor explains that the real reason we wake up feeling off is that this device cools and dries the environment at the same time, which irritates the throat. This causes, upon waking, a painful sensation when swallowing, something that “would mimic tonsillitis” without actually being so. Moreover, Dr. Torres warns that this dryness weakens our defenses and, if the device’s filter is dirty, the symptoms worsen. Therefore, his key advice is to use it wisely: “use it as little as possible, keeping the temperature between twenty-four and twenty-six degrees” and always avoid having the jet aimed directly at your face or neck.
