Is it true that dirty air can make it difficult to sleep? & bull; hello healthy

The bad effects caused by dirty air on the health of the body are well known. Apart from increasing the risk of respiratory diseases such as lung infections and asthma, he said dirty air can also make it difficult for you to sleep. Is that right? How does this affect your daily sleep patterns?

Is it true that dirty air makes it difficult to sleep?

Humans need adequate sleep rest every day. Not only aims to restore energy for tomorrow, the body will secrete cytokines that can fight inflammation and infection while sleeping so that your immune system is protected.

Lack of sleep will certainly interfere with your concentration while undergoing activities. You will also be haunted by an increased risk of various health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and sleep apnea.

Therefore, it is important to minimize the things that can disturb your sleep. Lifestyle changes such as sleeping earlier also need to be accompanied by maintaining cleanliness around you. This is important because environmental conditions will affect air quality.

Plus, a study conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Washington has found a link between dirty air and the susceptibility of sleeping to many people.

Dr. Martha E. Billings, an assistant professor at the medical school who also led the study, said that dirty air does have an impact on respiratory function, but there is very little information about its effect on sleep.

In a study conducted with 1,863 participants, researchers investigated the effects of the two most common types of pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and PM2.5. These two particles will be very harmful to the body if inhaled and absorbed in the lungs. Researchers also looked at the estimated levels of air pollution in each participant's home for about 5 years.

Each participant gets a bracelet actigraph which will be used to record every movement as well as provide an overview of sleep patterns for more than a week.

As a result, participants exposed to NO2 particles had a 60% higher risk of having trouble sleeping. Meanwhile, the risk for participants exposed to dirty air with high PM2.5 levels was 50% greater.

Although it has not been clearly proven causal factors, these findings still show that dirty air not only affects the health of your lungs and heart, but also the quality of your sleep.

How do you make the environment free from dirty air?

Improving the air quality in your home is a must if you don't want to be exposed to pollution which can make it difficult to sleep. Here are a variety of ways you can try.

Clean the house regularly

Cleaning the house is not enough just to tidy up things or sweep and mop the floors. Also clean the dust in between your furniture, because accumulated dust can result in dirty air. To make things easier, use the help of tools vacuum cleaner. Change and wash items that are often exposed to allergens such as carpets, bed sheets and pillowcases regularly.

Choosing the right home cleaning products

Did you know, it turns out that the cleaning products you use can also make the air in the house dirty. Some products with chlorine and ammonia also contain contain volatile compounds (VOCs) which can evaporate into the air and become dangerous gases if inhaled too often. We recommend that you choose products that do not contain VOCs.

Use water purifier

Air purifier or air purifier serves to catch viruses and bacteria that cause disease in the air. Other than that, water purifier can also remove bad odors and reduce the appearance of mold in the room.

Adequate air ventilation

Open windows in your home to let fresh air into the room. If you are worried about outside pollution, use a vent to filter the air from harmful particles. The kitchen is also sometimes a source of dirty air in the house, you can install an exhaust fan to solve this.