Buying an air purifier for your bedroom

Adding an air purifier to your bedroom and home in general can provide a great deal of benefits. If you have trouble sleeping, experience allergies, or are concerned about air quality and particle pollution, an air purifier’s performance in your room may be just what you need. Read on to learn more about how an air purifier in the bedroom can help.

The importance of clean air in the bedroom

We, as humans, spend one third of our lives in our bedrooms. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is usually 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air (sometimes reaching up to 100 times more polluted!¹), air quality in a space where we spend so much of our time should be at the top of our list of priorities. The presence of stale air in your bedroom can have a serious impact on your sleep quality, allergy and respiratory disease symptoms, and can even put your health at risk in many different ways.

What, exactly, is stale air? Stale air occurs when chemical pollution (including volatile organic compounds or VOCs), air and particle pollutants, humidity, and biological contaminants accumulate in your breathing air. To avoid the build-up of stale air, proper ventilation of your space is always encouraged whenever possible. However, if you live in a place with outdoor air pollution or are concerned about safety, leaving your windows and doors open may not be a possibility.

Polluted indoor air can lead to a host of health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 6.5 million people around the world die as a result of air pollution-related illness. Exposure to air pollution may cause:

• Respiratory disease (asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and pneumonia)
• Multiple types of cancer, particularly lung cancer
• Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression
• Increased hospitalisation risk and aggravation of pre-existing conditions
• Asthma attacks – allergens and pollutants in the air trigger 80% of asthma attacks

Specifically, in the bedroom, air pollution may cause snoring and other breathing difficulties whilst sleeping. Some studies have even shown a link between air pollution and sleep apnoea².

SEE OUR PRODUCTS

The types of air pollution targeted by air purifiers in the bedroom

An air purifier in the bedroom, particularly one that is equipped with a HEPA-certified filter, can target a wide variety of air pollutants. A device’s clean air delivery rate (CADR), as you will read below, determines how often the air in your space is renewed to remove these pollutants.

Fine particles

Outdoor air pollution is a major contributor to poor indoor air quality and fine particle pollution (and ultrafine and nanoparticle particulate matter) in the home. Pollen, dust, cigarette and other types of smoke, and ashes may also contribute to fine particles present in your bedroom or in your home in general. An air purifier’s performance in your bedroom can help combat all types of fine particles.

In addition to the longer term health effects mentioned above, exposure to fine particles indoors may cause reactions like eye and throat irritation, congestion, coughing, and sneezing. A recent study found that nasal congestion may cause difficulties sleeping, fatigue, headaches, and drowsiness³.

Biological pollution

Biological pollution is any type of airborne air pollution that is caused by living organisms. Several examples are dust mites, fungi (mould and mildew), germs (viruses and bacteria), and animal excreta (urine, faeces, skin cells, and saliva). Within the home, these organisms are most abundant in the bedroom which provides a dark, warm place for them to proliferate. Dust mites, specifically, commonly live in your mattress, pillows, and bedding. An air purifier installed in the bedroom can help remove biological pollution and particles from your breathing air.

Chemical pollution

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a form of chemical pollution that are often found in the bedroom but in other rooms in the home as well. When you use products like cosmetics, cleaning agents, paint, fragrances, or air fresheners, they all release VOCs, exposure to which can cause many deleterious health effects. Some may include:

• Short-term: respiratory irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea
• Long-term: nervous system, kidney, and liver damage

If you purchase new pieces of furniture for your bedroom, they can release VOCs – including formaldehyde, a known carcinogen – for up to several years! Application of pesticides or fungicides in the bedroom can also contribute to chemical pollution which is why manufacturers always recommend to properly ventilate when using these products. An air purifier in your bedroom designed with high performance can help remove these contaminants from the air in your space.

The benefits of an air purifier in the bedroom

Ease allergy and respiratory disease symptoms

An air purifier for your bedroom, especially those equipped with a HEPA filter, can ease allergy symptoms and improve sleep quality as a result. In fact, one study has found that those who experience allergic rhinitis and allergy symptoms are twice as likely to experience trouble sleeping⁴. Individuals who have allergies to pollen, pet dander, and dust can benefit significantly from purchasing an air purifier for the home if the device is equipped with a HEPA filter. This type of filter removes all allergens and air pollutants down to a size of 0.01 µm from your breathing air. Additionally, an air purification device installed in the bedroom can assist with and reduce symptoms associated with multiple types of respiratory conditions, notably asthma.

Reduces odours

Carbon filtration is one of the most effective forms of filtration available. Air purifiers that come equipped with activated carbon filters are able to remove odours from the rooms in your home. Typical bad odours found in the home may include those from the kitchen (such as the refrigerator, cooking smells, the rubbish bin, drains, etc.), dirty clothes, cigarettes, pets, and mould. Some of these odours may even contain dangerous VOCs! These scents can easily find themselves in the bedroom, making for an unpleasant night’s sleep. By replacing these smells with fresh, purified air thanks to a high-performance air purifier, you can ensure a more sound sleep. Activated carbon filters are also effective at targeting volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Reduces snoring

Long-term snoring can have many effects on your everyday life. It may disturb your own nightly sleep patterns as well as those of your partner or other family members or roommates who may be asleep nearby.

As mentioned above in this article, snoring can be a result of having too many pollutants in your breathing air. Snoring occurs when the flow of air through your mouth and nose is blocked. Polluted air can irritate the upper airways, leading to stuffy, inflamed nasal passages and irritated throats. The presence of an air purifier in the bedroom can remove the contaminated particles that may be responsible for these symptoms throughout the night. An air purification device can help to keep these passages open and, thus, reduce snoring.

Serves as a white noise machine

In addition to its health benefits, a bonus feature of installing an air purifier in your bedroom is its use as a white noise machine to ensure a quiet bedroom. The sound that an air purifier makes whilst blowing and circulating air can be soothing to those who have trouble falling or staying asleep throughout the night. White noise masks other sounds in your space and also can be an aid for those who do not like the silence or who live in noisy environments. Regarding white noise machines, studies have shown that:

• In healthy individuals, the performance of white noise machines reduces the amount of time it took people to fall asleep by nearly 40% compared with people who do not use them⁵
• White noise machines can help babies and young children fall asleep more quickly⁶

How to choose an air purifier for the bedroom?