The Best Bedroom Humidity for Sleep That You Probably Didn't Know About!

Whether it's humid during the rainy season and summer or dry in winter, the humidity in your room is always a concern. But do you know the optimal humidity for your bedroom to sleep comfortably?

Many people have probably experienced difficulty sleeping due to high humidity or waking up with a sore throat after sleeping in a dry environment, all because humidity control wasn't managed well.

This time, gugu sleep will introduce the optimal bedroom humidity for a good night's sleep!

What is the optimal bedroom humidity for sleeping?

Although it varies by season, the optimal humidity for your bedroom when sleeping is around 50%.

It is said that the comfortable humidity for people to sleep is around 50%. If your bedroom humidity is not around 50%, use a humidifier or dehumidifier to adjust the bedroom to the optimal humidity.

Also, the optimal bedroom humidity for sleeping changes with the season. It is said to be 50-60% in summer and 40-50% in winter. Adjust your bedroom to the optimal humidity according to the season to achieve a pleasant sleep!

Trivia! What's the difference between "shikke" (dampness) and "shitsudo" (humidity)?

"Shikke" and "shitsudo" are used casually in daily life, but do you know the difference between these two words?

"Shikke" refers to "water vapor contained in the air," while "shitsudo" refers to "the percentage of water vapor contained in the air."

You won't have any trouble even if you don't know the difference between "shikke" and "shitsudo," but it doesn't hurt to know, so you might want to keep it in the back of your mind.

What happens if bedroom humidity is not optimal?

We've introduced the optimal bedroom humidity, but what are the effects if the bedroom humidity isn't optimal?

When humidity exceeds 60%, mold and dust mites are more likely to occur. Mold and dust mites in the room can cause asthma and allergic rhinitis, so caution is needed.

Additionally, humans have a mechanism where deep body temperature lowers during sleep to facilitate falling asleep and rest the brain and body. In Japan's hot and humid summer environment, the decrease in deep body temperature becomes sluggish, so if temperature and humidity are not managed well, it can lead to effects such as "too hot to sleep" or "not feeling rested even after sleeping."

When humidity falls below 40%, influenza viruses become more active, and mucous membranes in the nose and throat are more likely to be damaged, leading to effects such as "sore throat upon waking."

Also, sleeping in a low-humidity, dry room can lead to mild dehydration upon waking, so caution is needed.

How to reduce bedroom humidity

During summer and the rainy season, moisture tends to accumulate in bedrooms, leading to high humidity and damp environments. So, many people might think, "The bedroom is so humid I can't sleep," or "The bedroom is damp, and I can't fall asleep easily."

In such cases, take the following measures to control humidity and create a comfortable bedroom!

It's no exaggeration to say that ventilation is synonymous with humidity control, and ventilation is effective for humidity control.

Bedrooms tend to accumulate moisture because doors and windows are opened and closed less frequently compared to living rooms.
Consciously opening bedroom doors and windows to create an air passage will allow air to circulate efficiently and release moisture!

As a precaution, opening windows when the outside humidity is high, such as in summer, will conversely increase the indoor humidity, so do not open windows when the outside humidity is high, such as in summer.

Also, bedding is a key area where moisture tends to accumulate in the bedroom. To prevent mold from growing on your bedding, those who use futons should air them out regularly, and those who use mattresses should lean their mattresses against a wall. Make sure to take proper measures to protect your bedding from moisture!

Use air conditioner dehumidification function or dehumidifier

When humidity is high, the dehumidification mode of the air conditioner is also effective.

If you set a timer for the air conditioner, we recommend a slightly longer setting so as not to disrupt deep sleep right after falling asleep. Aim for 2 to 3 hours and find a cycle that suits you.

When using a dehumidifier, using it in conjunction with an air conditioner or fan will circulate the air and enhance the dehumidifying effect. Without air circulation, humidity will only drop around the dehumidifier, so circulate the bedroom air while using the dehumidifier.

Curtains are often chosen purely for their design, but changing the material of these curtains to linen can significantly alter the bedroom environment.

Linen has high moisture absorption and excellent moisture release properties, making it suitable not only for the damp periods of summer and the rainy season but also for the dry winter. It is an excellent material that keeps the environment comfortable throughout the year.

You can also dehumidify with readily available items.

Items such as newspaper, bamboo charcoal, baking soda, and rock salt absorb moisture, so simply placing them around provides a dehumidifying effect.

Also, a plastic bottle, surprisingly little known. Simply freezing a plastic bottle and placing it in the room can actually help control humidity. When you leave a cold drink in a room, condensation forms on the outside of the cup or plastic bottle, right? This is because the moisture in the air is cooled by the cold drink and turns into droplets. The moisture (humidity) in the air is removed as droplets, providing a dehumidifying effect. When using this method, be sure to place a saucer under the plastic bottle to catch the water droplets.

How to increase bedroom humidity

During dry winters when humidity is low, many people might experience a sore throat upon waking or catch a cold due to dryness. Since a low-humidity environment makes one more susceptible to colds, humidity control in areas like the bedroom is crucial during dry winter periods.

Take the following measures to adjust the humidity in your bedroom during winter.

The easiest way to increase humidity (humidify) is to hang laundry indoors.

If you don't have laundry to hang indoors or don't have a place to hang laundry in your bedroom, hanging a wet towel in the room has the same effect as drying laundry indoors.

Humidifiers are also effective in increasing humidity, of course.

When using a humidifier to increase room humidity, placing it in the center of the room allows for efficient humidification.

Actually, houseplants also have a humidifying effect.

Houseplants have a process called "transpiration," where they release water. They absorb water through their roots and release it as water vapor from their leaves, which humidifies the surroundings.

Houseplants can humidify without disrupting the decor of areas like bedrooms, so if you're particular about your interior design, placing houseplants might be a good option.

Recommended humidity control measures for each season

So far, we've introduced general humidity control methods, but now we'd like to present recommended bedroom humidity control measures for each season.

The rainy season is when humidity starts to rise, and you gradually begin to feel uncomfortable sleeping.

Also, it becomes difficult to ventilate by opening windows due to frequent rain, so we recommend the following humidity control measures.

During the rainy season, the bedroom humidity is not as high as in summer, so start using the air conditioner's dehumidification mode as a trial run for summer.

Also, we recommend starting bedroom humidity control with easily accessible dehumidifying items such as bamboo charcoal, rock salt, and baking soda.

Mold tends to occur during the rainy season, so don't forget to take mold countermeasures, such as airing out bedding regularly.

During the hot and humid summer, we highly recommend using the air conditioner for dehumidification.

If the outside humidity is high, such as in summer, opening windows for ventilation will also increase indoor humidity. Therefore, if the outside humidity exceeds 70%, do not open windows and use the air conditioner's dehumidification mode for humidity control.

If you wish to open windows for ventilation, we recommend opening them for light ventilation after the humidity has dropped to around 60%.

Also, when using an air conditioner in summer, we tend to focus only on "temperature," but actually, adjusting "humidity" to maintain comfortable humidity is more conducive to a good night's sleep than worrying about "temperature."

Neglecting bedroom humidity control during dry winters can make you susceptible to colds and influenza, so humidity control is important for health management in winter.

For winter humidity control, humidifiers are of course effective, and placing houseplants is also recommended.

If you don't want to disrupt your interior design by placing wet towels or humidifiers in your bedroom for humidification, you might consider placing houseplants in the room.

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Thorough humidity control for better sleep, for a better life!

Many people might have paid attention to "temperature" but not so much to "humidity."

To get comfortable sleep, it's important to properly adjust bedroom humidity and maintain it around 50%.

Implement the humidity control measures introduced here, maintain appropriate bedroom humidity, and achieve comfortable sleep!