Buying an air purifier for snoring

Poor air quality, both indoor and outdoor, impacts all aspects of human health. It leads to or aggravates respiratory diseases and conditions (asthma, allergies, COPD), cardiovascular disease, multiple types of cancer (including lung cancer), mental health conditions (depression and anxiety), diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Air pollution also leads to adverse sleep effects like reduced sleep quality and duration, sleep apnoea, and snoring. Today’s article will focus on the impact of air pollution on snoring and how an air purifier for snoring can help relieve symptoms. Read on to learn more.

The link between snoring and air pollution

Does air quality affect snoring?

Air pollutants are irritants that affect the respiratory system and nearly every other organ and system of the human body. When breathed in, airborne particles irritate the upper airways leading to problems with swelling and inflammation and, as a result, restricted breathing that causes snoring. Multiple studies have focused their efforts on understanding the relationship between snoring and air pollution exposure. An increase of breathing disturbances whilst sleeping has been observed over the past 30 years, especially in the form of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) which produces loud habitual snoring and breathing pauses in sufferers.

A 2016 study found that poor air quality, namely traffic pollution, and traffic noise are both linked to an increased risk of habitual snoring and daytime sleepiness. Of the more than 12,000 adults who took part in the study, 6% experienced traffic noise in their bedrooms and 11% travelled on busy roads on a regular basis. Habitual snoring was self-reported by 25% of participants with men experiencing more snoring than women¹.

Another 2019 study on children between the ages of 5 and 9 found that high levels of ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and humidity (yes, humidity is classified as an indoor air pollutant!) causes wheezing-related sleep disturbances and sleep-disordered breathing, especially snoring².

Rhinitis, another respiratory condition caused by and/or exacerbated by air pollution, often causes problems with habitual snoring. Smoking (as well as second-hand smoking), a major contributor to indoor and outdoor air pollution, has also been linked to an increase in snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, daytime sleepiness, and sleep disturbances for asthmatic children³.

Sleep difficulties and sleep-disordered breathing like snoring are becoming one of the most severe health problems that reduces quality of life. Studies have found that sleep disturbances like snoring have a negative impact on mental and physical health and are associated with problems in the endocrine and metabolic systems as well as neurological and higher cortical function disorders^4-6. Nasal congestion caused by air pollution exposure causes headaches, chronic fatigue, and daytime drowsiness⁷.

How to improve air quality in your bedroom?

Indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Indoor air pollution and stale air in your bedroom greatly increase the risk of developing and aggravating sleep disturbances like snoring. Stale air occurs when an indoor space does not have sufficient ventilation, causing an accumulation of pollutants including:

• Fine particles (particulate matter like PM10, PM2.5 and PM0.1) generated by road traffic, industrial emissions, smoke, wood and gas appliances, and candle-burning (to name a few)
• Allergens like pollen, dust, dust mites, and pet hair and dander
• Chemical pollution (including ozone, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds or VOCs)
• Germs (bacteria and viruses)

Some recommendations to reduce poor indoor air quality and stale air in bedrooms are to ventilate regularly (at least twice a day for 30-minute intervals), keep windows closed during periods of peak pollution, hoover regularly, and change your bedsheets often. Sufficient ventilation, however, is not always possible due to extreme outdoor temperatures, security concerns, and/or high levels of ambient air pollution. This is why it is recommended to invest in an air purifier for snoring.

Benefits of air purifiers for snoring

Improve air quality

Of course, the main purpose of purchasing an air purifier for your home and/or professional space is to improve indoor air quality, breathe cleaner air, and reduce pollutant concentrations. Whether your goal is neutralising substances like allergens (dust and dust mites, animal dander, mould and spores, pollen), trapping airborne bacteria and viruses, or reducing your risk of experiencing health issues caused by fine particles and gaseous pollutants (like VOCs), a high-quality air purifier for snoring helps remove all airborne pollutants that cause poor sleep, upper airway inflammation, and snoring.

Minimise sleep-disordered breathing, allergy, and asthma triggers

Nasal congestion and nose, throat, and upper airway irritation caused by indoor air pollutants of any kind lead to adverse sleep effects like sleep-related breathing problems, sleep apnoea, and snoring. Nighttime allergy and asthma triggers like exposure to dust, particulates, dust mites, pet dander, and mould may all increase the likelihood of experiencing snoring and nocturnal asthma attacks. Using an air purifier for snoring reduces the risk of inhaling triggers whilst you sleep.

Increase white noise

Studies have proven white noise to be highly beneficial in improving sleep quality and duration⁸. Some disruptive sounds in the bedroom that may be masked by white noise (a quiet, consistent background sound such as the gentle whirring of an air purifier for snoring) may include traffic, voices, the ticking of a clock, the sounds of running appliances, and more. These noises may disrupt a person’s sleep, inhibiting a soothing sleeping environment. Sleep-disordered breathing and snoring caused by environmental noises and distractions are greatly improved by white noise in the bedroom.

Factors to consider when choosing an air purifier for snoring

Filtration technologies: HEPA + carbon filtration

It is important to note that not all air purifiers are capable of performing high-quality air filtration. In order to remove the smallest fine and nanoparticles found in indoor air pollution (particulate matter, or PM10, PM2.5, and PM0.1), an air purifier must be equipped with a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA)-certified filter as part of its filtration technologies. HEPA certification is essential: it is third-party tested to guarantee the removal of 99.97% of all pollutants down to a size of 0.3 microns in a single pass. However, these filters are able to remove particles that are much smaller than 0.3 microns in reality: read more about the 0.3 micron barrier here. Eoleaf devices all contain medical-grade HEPA H13-certified filters that filter particles down to 0.01 microns, enabling the removal of particulate matter, tobacco smoke, particulates from wood stoves and gas appliances, pet dander, dust mites, and mould spores, amongst others.

To combat all types of air pollution, a simple HEPA filter will not suffice. HEPA, although widely considered to be the golden standard of air filtration, does not have the capability to remove chemical pollution or gaseous pollutants like VOCs (such as formaldehyde), ozone, carbon monoxide, and unpleasant odours. To remove these types of airborne toxins, activated carbon filters are a must. Activated carbon is one of the most tried-and-true methods of air and water filtration that has been used for centuries.

Most other air purifiers on the market contain just one or two technologies, but Eoleaf’s high-end air purifiers for snoring also contain 6 other air filtration technologies, each of which targets a specific type of air pollution and guaranteeing that you will breathe the cleanest indoor air available.

Noise level

When purchasing an air purifier for problems like snoring, noise level is important to keep in mind. This is particularly important when installing an air purifier in an adult’s or baby’s bedroom. Be sure to invest in an air purifier that is quiet yet powerful so as not to disturb your or your baby’s sleep. A quiet air purifier for a baby’s room also helps protect a child’s hearing and auditory development. With the help of Night mode, Eoleaf devices can be left running on their slowest (and quietest at only 35 dB) fan speed with all indicator lights shut off, acting as a white noise machine all whilst still allowing you and your baby to breathe filtered indoor air.

Room size compatibility

When seeking out an air purifier for snoring, be sure to consider two crucial metrics used to determine an air purifier’s efficiency in your space: CADR and ACH. Clean Air Delivery Rate, or CADR, is another industry standard used to determine the volume of filtered air capable of being efficiently produced by an air purifier. The higher the CADR, the better. We have been critical over a certain major manufacturers’ decision to forego CADR to use its own patented technology (we’re looking at you, Dyson). CADR allows consumers to compare filtration efficiency between brands, and without a CADR rating, it is impossible for customers to do so.

Air Changes per Hour, or ACH, is used to determine how many times per hour an air purifier is capable of exchanging or replacing all of the air in a room. In order to effectively clean the air, for spaces with high levels of pollution, an ACH rating of 4 or 5 is recommended for the air to be completely filtered. This means that all of the air is replaced 4 or 5 times per hour. Reach out to Eoleaf’s air filtration experts to allow them to calculate ACH for you using your specific room size and needs.

Choose Eoleaf for a more tranquil night’s sleep

If you or a loved one is experiencing snoring, it may be time to focus your efforts on improving your indoor air quality. Purchasing an Eoleaf air purifier is an investment in your overall health: our devices offer a more thorough air cleaning than any other air purifier on the market. Protect yourself and your loved ones at home from the dangers of indoor air pollution. Breathe cleaner air and sleep more soundly with an Eoleaf air purifier.

Frequently asked questions

Are air purifiers able to lessen snoring?

Indoor air pollution consists of irritating airborne particulates. When inhaled, these particles cause swelling and inflammation in the upper airways, restricting breathing and leading to snoring. By removing indoor air pollutants of all types, a high-quality air purifier like those offered by Eoleaf may help snoring and other sleep-disordered breathing.

What impact do air purifiers have on breathing while you sleep?

High-quality air purifiers, like Eoleaf’s, offer 8 different types of air pollution and target all types of air pollution. This helps remove airborne particles that irritate your airways whilst you sleep, helping improve your sleep quality and duration as well as reduce the incidence of sleep-disordered breathing like snoring.

Does sleep apnoea get better with air purifiers?

Sleep apnoea is caused by a multitude of factors: obesity, anatomical factors like a narrow airway or thicker neck, gender (males are more likely to experience sleep apnoea), age, medical conditions, and environmental factors like air pollution. An air purifier helps remove irritating air pollutants that may aggravate sleep apnoea symptoms like snoring and disturbed sleep.

How should an air purifier be placed in a bedroom for optimal results?

An air purifier should be placed in a location with optimal air flow. It should never be obstructed by furniture or placed in the corner of a room. Read more about our placement recommendations here.

Resources

¹ Gislason, T., Bertelsen, R. J., Real, F. G., Sigsgaard, T., Franklin, K. A., Lindberg, E., Janson, C., Arnardottir, E. S., Hellgren, J., Benediktsdottir, B., Forsberg, B., & Johannessen, A. (2016). Self-reported exposure to traffic pollution in relation to daytime sleepiness and habitual snoring: A questionnaire study in seven North-European cities. Sleep Medicine, 24, 93–99. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.08.007

² Sánchez T, Gozal D, Smith DL, Foncea C, Betancur C, Brockmann PE. Association between air pollution and sleep disordered breathing in children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2019 May;54(5):544-550. doi: 10.1002/ppul.24256. Epub 2019 Feb 4. PMID: 30719878.

³ Young T, Finn L, Kim H. Nasal obstruction as a risk factor for sleep-disordered breathing. The University of Wisconsin Sleep and Respiratory Research Group. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997 Feb;99(2):S757-62. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(97)70124-6. PMID: 9042068.

⁴ Baker, T. L. (1985). Introduction to sleep and sleep disorders. Medical Clinics of North America, 69(6), 1123–1152. doi:10.1016/s0025-7125(16)30979-8

⁵ Hong, S. B. (2013). Sleep disorders medicine. Journal of the Korean Medical Association, 56(5), 410–422. doi:10.5124/jkma.2013.56.5.410

⁶ K. Pavlova, M., & Latreille, V. (2019). Sleep disorders. The American Journal of Medicine, 132(3), 292–299. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.09.021

⁷ Donald E. Stull, Laurie Roberts, Lori Frank & Kim Heithoff (2007) Relationship of nasal congestion with sleep, mood, and productivity, Current Medical Research and Opinion, 23:4, 811-819, DOI: 10.1185/030079907X178793.

⁸ Ebben MR, Yan P, Krieger AC. The effects of white noise on sleep and duration in individuals living in a high noise environment in New York City. Sleep Med. 2021 Jul;83:256-259. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.031. Epub 2021 Apr 6. PMID: 34049045.