Can You Sleep With the Dehumidifier On and Does it Help You Sleep Better?

Most homeowners tend to worry when leaving electronic devices on throughout the night. Not only does it consume energy but there is the fear of it short-circuiting and causing a fire. The dehumidifier is one such device that people wonder if they can leave on while they sleep.

You can leave the dehumidifier on while you sleep. The device is designed to work throughout day and night, as long as you empty its tank and position it in a safe spot. It will work to lower humidity and keep it at the right level. You just need to take the right safety measures such as positioning it away from coming into contact with water.

In this article, we look at the impact of humidity on your sleep, measures to take when leaving the dehumidifier on all night, and tips to ensure the device functions well. 

What is humidity and how does it affect your sleep?

Humidity measures the amount of water vapor in the air. Humidity levels are higher in warmer climates where water is present because the saturation point, capacity to hold water, of air, is higher. 

Most people are not aware of the impact humidity has on their sleep.

The sleep cycle consists of the following phases: 

1. Awake: The time spent in bed before you fall asleep. 
2. Light: When you fall asleep, it is initially a light sleep. Your muscles relax, and respiration and heart rate slow down. 
3. Deep: It is difficult to wake up at this stage, if you awake you will be disoriented. Your blood pressure drops, and the body promotes regrowth and repair from the day’s work. 
4. REM sleep: This is the phase where dreams usually occur. While your body rests, your brain starts to function, and your breathing rate increases. 

High levels of humidity impact your light and REM sleep. The extra moisture in the air can increase wakefulness, making it difficult to fall asleep during the light cycle. It also poses issues during the memory consolidation and bodily recovery process during the REM cycle. 

There are other indirect ways humidity affects your sleep. The dampness in the air can aggravate asthma and other breathing problems. These can be triggered while you sleep, disrupting your sleep cycle.

This is why it is important to control humidity in your bedroom when it gets high. 

Can a dehumidifier help you sleep better?

A dehumidifier helps you control indoor humidity. So, it can help you regulate humidity levels in your bedroom when humidity is high. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the humidity in a home should be kept between 30% to 50% for a good night of sleep. If humidity exceeds 60%, you will likely have trouble falling asleep or properly completing the REM cycle. 

You can use a dehumidifier to ensure that humidity in your bedroom stays in the recommended range. Therefore, you are likely to sleep better at night. 

Is it safe to sleep with the dehumidifier on all night?

It is safe to have your dehumidifier on throughout the night. But, there are some safety measures you must take. Make sure that the spot you choose for the device is away from any water source. It is an electronic device, it can short circuit and cause fire due to coming in contact with water. 

Tips to help you select the best dehumidifier to use at night

With so many dehumidifiers in the market, how do you know which one is right to use at night? Simple, you take the following factors into account when shopping for a unit:

1. Noise: Like most appliances, dehumidifiers do produce noise while running. The last thing you want is the device to make so much noise that it makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. So, make sure you ask review much noise the capacitor of the unit produces before settling on one. 
2. Capacity: The dehumidifier is only useful if it can cover the area of your whole bedroom. Also, you want one with a tank big enough to hold the water collected throughout the night. Otherwise, it will shut in the middle of the night as soon as the tank is full. Finding the right device when it comes to capacity can be tricky. So, we recommend getting a 50-pint (28 liters) unit which has a big tank and should be sufficient for most bedroom sizes. 
3. Auto-shutoff: This feature is important in conserving energy. The device shuts off once the preset level of humidity is achieved. 

By keeping these factors in mind, you will find the perfect unit for use to enhance your sleep. 

Tips to help you setup your dehumidifier to help you sleep better

The following tips will help you get the most out of your dehumidifier:

1. Air has to flow freely into and out of the device for it to function well. Place it in a spot that is away from walls or any other object that would serve as a barrier to airflow. Usually it is about a foot (30 centimeters) away.
2. Make sure you set the humidity level between 40% to 50%. You don’t want to set it too low because it may cause dry skin and a scratchy throat. 
3. Close the door to your room and the windows. Otherwise, humid air will continuously flow in while the dehumidified air flows out. 
4. Regularly maintain the device and empty its tank.

Final thoughts

People tend to ignore humidity as a cause of sleeplessness. While those that know about it always wonder if they can keep the dehumidifier on all night? Worried that the device may overheat, malfunction, or dehumidify the air too much. 

If humidity is a concern for you, then you can leave your dehumidifier on all night. It will help you sleep better by keeping humidity in check and the device poses no direct threat to you or your family as long as you take the measures we’ve highlighted.