Should You Leave Your Windows Open And Unlocked At Night?

Keeping your windows open or closed at night seems like a topic that needs less discussion.

Practically, you either love to sleep with windows open or closed, and you may be unwilling to change that.

However, you may find it unhealthy or unsafe to leave windows open overnight for several reasons.

So, Should You Leave Your Windows Open And Unlocked At Night?

 Opening windows overnight has benefits and drawbacks, and all are justifiable. That is why it is hard to conclude how to treat windows at night. Regardless of your option, your safety should be your top priority. It is senseless to compromise your security and health just to get a good sleep.

Five Benefits Of Leaving Windows Open At Night

Leaving windows open at night has several benefits to your general life and contributes significantly to your healthy and peaceful sleep.

1. Prevents Carbon Buildup

Carbon monoxide will easily build up in your room when windows are closed.

Even though it is invisible, there are increased chances that the gas you exhale will accumulate in the bedroom, especially when there is poor ventilation, closed doors, and windows.

An Increased amount of carbon can be damaging to your health, especially when you continuously breathe it in at night.

Too much carbon dioxide will lead to symptoms like dizziness, nausea, headaches, and fatigue.

While sleeping, it is hard to realize these effects, but when you wake up, you will feel tired and unable to pick up a new day at an average pace.

The simplest way to control the accumulation of carbon dioxide you exhale is by leaving windows open.

2. Keep Humidity Levels Low

Sleeping in a humid environment has several repercussions, and no one would want to spend a night in a humid place.

Usually, a bedroom with a lot of moisture feels clammy and hence uncomfortable to sleep in. Humidity builds up in a home from the numerous activities that happen in the house.

Activities like cooking and showering inside the house with poor vents increase the possibility of humid air accumulation.

Generally, it is very easy for humid air to accumulate indoors than outside. So, when you sleep with windows open, the humidity will reduce as the less humid outside air gets in.

3. White Noise From The Outside

At night, crickets, insects, and the light pitter-patter of rain outside create a good noisy background for sleeping.

Most people find it very hard to sleep in an extremely silent environment and prefer it when there is some white noise.

You can only get these wonderfully wild noises when you leave your windows open when going to bed.

4. Help Fix Your Sleep Schedule

Keeping windows open is another way to help you fix your sleep patterns.

Most people have an internal clock that alerts them when to sleep and wake up.

This internal clock system is known as the circadian rhythm and is very sensitive to darkness and light.

Every individual has an internal body clock that regulates when one feels awake and sleepy throughout the day.

This internal system is known as your circadian rhythm.

Normally, the system will send you to sleep a few hours into the night and wake you a few hours in the morning, just after the sun rises.

When the window is open, light travels easily to your room, alerting you to wake up.

With this principle, you are sure to sleep peacefully with no midnight nightmares or having to wake up very early before light sets.

5. Cool Breeze And Temperatures

This happens to be the most apparent reason why you would want to leave windows open at night.

It feels good when you drift off and quietly sleep in a cool and refreshing space.

The fresh air entering your bedroom through open windows makes the room cool, thus providing a good sleeping space.

As long as the outside air is cooler than the interior air, keeping your windows open at night is the best way to bring in the cool, relaxing breeze to motivate your sleep.

Five Drawbacks Of Leaving Windows Open At Night

While leaving windows unclosed at night is a good idea, it also has some effects.

1. Allergic Reactions

Springtime is usually warm in most states and is the best time to keep windows open 24/7.

However, this is also the time when flowers and grasses mature.

You will get a lot of pollen grains in the atmosphere, which will likely land in your room when the windows open.

The situation becomes more complex when you are allergic to dust and pollen.

2. Cold

If you reside in an area that frequently gets cold at night, especially during fall and winter, you should avoid sleeping with open windows.

This also applies if you live in a region that experiences storms and strong winds.

Always consider the outside weather situation before deciding to leave windows open. If it is unfavorable, then you better close them.

This does not mean you won’t get a good night’s sleep; instead, it will give you more peace than when left open, only to be distracted at night by storms or extreme cold.

3. Crime

When striving to achieve good sleep, you should also ensure you are secure.

Leaving the windows open at night will be very risky, especially in high crime neighborhoods.

By all means, you should maintain your safety for a great sleep.

Open windows can become riskier, especially if you sleep on the ground floor, which burglars can easily access.

4. Pollution

If you reside in an area with continuous pollution activities, it is better to sleep with windows closed.

Typically, the air won’t be fresh, and you will not get the nice breeze you expect.

While you can use air purifiers to clean the surrounding air, they will not be effective through the night. You can only resolve to close windows.

5. Noise

Of course, white noise brings a good tune to the background of your sleeping area. However, too much noise is not the same as white noise.

If you live in an area with a lot of noise, you will find it more beneficial to keep windows closed to get a peaceful sleep.

You can use noise-canceling earmuffs to reduce noise if you want to sleep with open windows; noise is your only concern.

Conclusion

In an attempt to get good sleep, there are several things to consider.

Most importantly, always check on the state of your surroundings before sleeping with open windows. While good sleep is valuable, it cannot be compared with a sense of security.

Also, consider your health conditions and possible allergies to avoid unexpected medical costs.

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