According to a new study, closing blinds, drawing curtains, and turning off all lights before going to bed and during sleep will help improve health.
Study: Curtains or blinds should ALWAYS be closed to get a healthy night's sleep. The research team discovered that moderate light exposure caused the body to go into a higher alert state.
Sleep continuously
Leaving your blinds or curtains slightly open will also help suppress melatonin production, helping you to resist 10-minute snoozes.
'It's important to remember to open curtains, blinds and windows when it starts to get dark and the temperature drops outside. You need to allow the cool, evening air in to circulate around your home,' adds Greig Millar, an expert at OVO Energy.
— Closing your curtains won't just give you more privacy at night, a new study finds it can also protect your heart while you sleep! Researchers from Northwestern University found that even a small amount of light exposure while sleeping increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Sinus Infection: We are more likely to contract sinus infections while sleeping with windows open at night, especially in drier climates. Trigger Asthma: Pollen particles travel into our homes through insects and open windows. Pollen falls closer to the ground when the air is cooler.
Sleeping with an open window can negatively impact your health as well. While cold air itself can't make you sick — colds and flus occur because germs overwhelm a person's immune system — it can potentially dry out nasal cavities, resulting in increased mucus production and a possible sinus infection.
There could be various reasons why some people leave their curtains or blinds open at night. Firstly, some people may prefer the natural light coming in through their windows to wake them up in the morning. They may also want to enjoy the view of the outside, such as the stars or the moon.
Studies show excess light in the bedroom can affect sleep quality, disrupting the body's natural circadian rhythm (our body clock), but we can use this to our advantage; because the more light you can remove from your space, the better rest you'll get. Sleeping in darkness helps produce the hormone, melatonin.
During this research, one company found that drawing your blinds in the evening can reduce heat loss by as much as 14%. And, if you decided to pair your blinds with curtains, you could further reduce this by an additional 17%. So yes, closing blinds really does help you to save energy!
Can I face my bed towards a window? Facing a bed towards a window is a better option than placing your bed underneath it, however, it is still not recommended. In Feng Shui, it is generally believed that, where possible, beds should not be placed directly in line with either a door or windows.
One of the benefits of sleeping in a dark room is that it helps you fall asleep easier. According to sleep experts, darkness helps to stimulate the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep quickly. It also helps to keep you asleep until you complete all sleeping cycles.
Keep blinds open during the day. Not only will this practice save you some money on energy bills during the winter, but it can also keep you and your family healthier. Read on to find out how sunlight can kill harmful bacteria present in the dust in your rooms.
Enhanced Room Darkening and Privacy
When the blinds are turned up, that is, the rounded side faces out, there's better light control as there are minimal gaps between the slats. Want to enjoy restful sleep in the middle of the day? Turn your blinds up.
Venetian Blind, wood blinds, and faux wood blinds allow to regulate the light and so the privacy. During the day the slack can be opened to let the light in, conserving some sort of privacy. During the night, when you turn your light on, you can close the slack and leave lights and the rest of the world out.
Sunshine streams in through the window, and the gap in between the window and blinds captures the heat, producing a greenhouse effect. In the winter, this is a desirable effect, and in the summer, when you want it to be cooler in your home, all you have to do is raise the blinds to leave the window uncovered.
'The perfect length for curtains depends on the aesthetic and mood of the space. However, curtains should either just touch the floor or be longer and puddle on the floor,' says Oshri Adri and Jillian Dahlman, the co-founders of Adri + Dahlman Interiors.
When it comes to roller blinds, it is possible to see through them at night, if there is enough light. If you are looking for privacy, however, thicker roller blinds will offer more coverage. The same goes for blackout roller blinds; they will completely block out any light from coming in.
Basically, yes. Any blind insulates better than no blind at all, but some blinds are much better insulators than others.
Keep blinds, shutters or curtains closed on particularly cloudy, or cold days, and definitely at night. This is the time when the cold can come through your windows. The earlier you close the blinds in the late afternoon the better.
Sleeping sockless won't negatively impact your health, but as discussed above, if you have insomnia, Raynaud's syndrome or menopausal night sweats, wearing socks could help alleviate some of your symptoms.
Benefits of Sleeping with the Window Open in Winter
Outdoor air is generally much cleaner than the air in your home, and opening the window allows clean, fresh air to circulate, flushing out the stale, contaminated air. Letting the cool, winter air in can also help you sleep better.
“Going to sleep with wet hair is not often recommended because it limits your styling options in the morning in most cases,” shares Stenson. “Soaking wet hair can lead to unwanted mold and mildew in your pillows.” Saviano agrees, adding that sleeping on wet hair can harm the hair cuticle and create lasting damage.
According to bedroom Feng Shui mirrors reflect energy, and placing one directly in front of the bed can create a disruptive flow of energy that can interrupt your sleep or cause uncomfortable dreams.