UK weather: Sleep with a fan on? You might want to think twice

As the mercury climbs to record breaking highs, we are doing everything we can to keep cool and avoid waking up in a pool of sweat the next day.

With temperatures set to reach 39C today, one of the ways we try to keep cool often involves a fan at the side of the bed, to try and help us drift off to sleep in the stifling heat.

However, contrary to popular belief, experts at Sleep Advisor say that using a fan, despite cooling us down, can actually be detrimental to our health.

Sleep Advisor says that as the dry air moves around the room, it “causes flurries of dust and pollen to make their way into your sinuses”.

For those with asthma or allergies, it could mean those problems are made worse by using a fan.

It is especially bad if your fan blades have dust on them, meaning that those particles are flying through the air as you sleep.

Fans that constantly blast air into our faces, despite feeling nice and cool, can cause sore throats and dry eyes, and dry out skin.

It is recommended to use a lotion or moisturiser to combat the dryness – but that could cause blocked pores, making us even warmer.

It gets worse. Fans at night can also cause sinus blockages, due to your body trying to compensate for the lack of mucus – which could lead to stuffiness and headaches.

There is also a risk of waking up with sore muscles when using a fan overnight. The concentrated cool air causes muscles to tense up and cramp – especially on the neck.

Despite the potential issues, a fan still has its benefits.

The white noise it produces often helps people sleep better, as it drowns out excess noise from outside.

It is also clearly a good way to control the temperature of your room.

Sleep Advisor recommends freezing water bottles, placing them on a tray, and then putting that tray in front of the fan, to give the impression of an air conditioning unit.

(c) Sky News 2019: UK weather: Sleep with a fan on? You might want to think twice