Experts in NJ, NY & PA Warn Not To Sleep With a Fan On Overnight

Look, I get it. Running a fan at night while you sleep can be very relaxing. The steady hum of the fan in my bedroom acts as white noise for me. I'm also a hot sleeper, so the fan helps to cool things off further. But as good as it feels, there are actually a few solid reasons why you might want to rethink running your fan all night long.

Now, I'm not talking about ceiling fans, although some of these "advisories" from the experts may apply. This is more geared toward a separate fan that sits on a nightstand or near the bed.

Your Nose and Skin Might Hate You for It

Fans constantly push air around the room, and that air isn’t just cool and breezy; it’s full of dust, pollen, and whatever else is hanging out in your bedroom. When you’ve got a fan blowing on your face for 6 or 8 hours straight, it can dry out your skin and even make your nose or throat feel scratchy. If you’ve ever woken up feeling kind of stuffy or like your lips turned into sandpaper overnight, your fan might be to blame. And if you have allergies, such as hay fever, it can exacerbate them by kicking allergens into the air and directly into your face.

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I used to run a fan on my face at bedtime. About 10 years ago, I woke up and one side of my face was paralyzed. I had a bout of Bell's Palsy. Many factors could have contributed, including stress, but it's common for people exposed to airflow from fans or moving vehicles to contract it.

It Might Be Running Up Your Energy Bill

Experts say fans don’t use a ton of electricity, but if you’ve got multiple ones running every night in the summer, that cost can sneak up on you. Let’s say you leave a fan on for 8 hours every night for an entire month. That adds up, especially if you’re already blasting the AC during the day. That being said, don't you think it's much cheaper to run a fan at night than to drop the AC a few degrees? That's just my two cents.

You Could End Up With Weird Aches

Ever wake up with a stiff neck or sore shoulders? That cool breeze hitting your muscles for hours while you’re not moving can actually cause stiffness. It’s like when your muscles tense up in a cold car. Same deal, except now you’ve got it happening in bed while you sleep. Nobody wants to wake up feeling like they slept on a rock.

The moral of the story is, yes, fans are great. But as they say, everything in moderation. If temperature isn't your biggest concern, and you need something to help you sleep, try a sound machine. You’ll still get the good stuff without the annoying side effects.