Some nights can be very steamy and falling asleep without air conditioning can be a challenge. In these cases, your only option to have a little relief from the heat is to run a fan to at least help cool the room and make sleeping conditioning more bearable.

But what happens when you fall asleep with a fan on?

We believe that running the fan at night will not bring any harm to our body, but Tip Hero thinks otherwise. They listed a few things that can possibly happen to you if ever you fall asleep with the fan running. Here are some of the effects that we should take note of:

Dry Mouth or Throat. When there is blowing air around all night, this can cause a drying effect. But this is not all, some would wake up feeling worse! If you are using a fan, there is a possibility that you will wake up with a dry mouth or throat – worse if you are sleeping with your mouth open. Others also experience dry eyes and nose which can leave their eyes red and stuffy or irritated nose when they wake up. Nosebleeds can also happen because of the dry air, especially with young children.

Asthma and Allergies. Anyone who has allergies or asthma find that running a nightly fan can worsen the symptoms. The fan that is blowing air around may contain allergens like dust, cat dander, pollen, or mold if your window is open. This can bring about an allergic matter which may cause an increase in sneezing, itchiness, and even breathing difficulties.

Muscle Soreness. This is one of the questions that we usually ask. Yes, running a fan at night may cause your muscles to stiffen or contract when the air hits a certain temperature and if the cool, outside air is being circulated.

According to The Sleep Advisor, if using a fan cannot be avoided, the website suggests avoiding aiming the fan too close to your face. You can also use an air purifier to counteract the allergens that get stirred up when the fan is blowing. If you are using a ceiling fan, regularly wipe down the blades using a damp cloth to remove the dust. If you have a conventional fan, clean the fan blades too.

Using a fan at night is still an ongoing debate on social media. Some diehard fan users shared their experiences. One of the comments read, “I had a fan blowing on me almost every night for the past 20 years, and only time I have a real hard sleeping is without a fan.” Another commenter wrote, “I am not giving my fan up! It’s good for me. It helps me sleep 365 days out of a year. Without it, I am wide awake and I hate hearing the sounds of the night. I love the sound of the fan blowing.”

There are also different suggestions shared to those who cannot avoid using a fan at night but are experiencing these kinds of problems. One commenter suggested that as long as you keep your room and the fan clean and the rotation setting is not directly on you, nothing can go bad. Another person also suggested to use moisturizer and always keep water by your bed in case of a dry mouth and throat.