I sleep in an air-conditioned room most nights and I do find that using the air-conditioner dries out the air a little. Not so much that it bugs me but its a fact that it does. In fact, what air-conditioners do besides cooling the air is reduce humidity in the air, which is why we feel that the air is drier. Since I live in a tropical climate where humidity in the open air is usually about 90-100% I do feel it when the air is drier.
I must say however that I am not overly bothered by the dry air from air-conditioners. It doesn’t cause any breathing problems for me nor does it do much detriment to me that I can see.
One tip I’ve heard often for counteracting the drier air in air-conditioned rooms is to place a glass of water by your bedside.
The science behind this is that the water will evaporate into the air and increase humidity. I decided to put this theory to the test.
A glass of water does not help increase humidity
I found that a glass of water by the bedside only served to be a nuisance. I was so concerned about knocking it over in the night and making a mess. I later moved the glass to my dresser but I found no increase in humidity nor comfort levels.
For control purposes (this is an experiment after all! 🙂 ) I placed a glass of water in my non air conditioned living room.
I found that the water in the glass in my room takes about a week to dry out from the glass which is about the same rate of evaporation as that of the water in my living room. This tells me that the rate of evaporation is not as great as I thought in an air-conditioned room.
My conclusion: A glass of water has too little water to have much impact on the humidity in an air-conditioned room.
A dipper or pail of water has better effect on humidity
Nonplussed by the failure of a glass of water to make an impact on humidity, I decided to go big. I put a pail of water in my room – yep! Anything for an experiment 🙂
With the pail of water, I found that I did feel greater comfort in an air-conditioned room. It did not feel as dry when I wake up as when I go to sleep. However, the practicalities of lugging a pailful of water into the bedroom and the fear of tripping over it caused me to stop this practice after a spell.
My conclusion: A pail of water, being a larger body of water can contribute better to the humidity in an air-conditioned room.
A Humidifier might be a better choice to increase humidity
As I don’t have breathing problems, I wasn’t too fussed by the dryish air in an air-conditioned room. However, for those who might be concerned, you might want to invest in an air humidifier. A humidifier will actively increase the humidity in the air because this is what it is created to do.
Do you sleep with a glass of water by the bed to counteract the dry air from air-conditioners? Does it help you?
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
Hmm, for me, I’ll just drink the water!
My face used to be really dry in the morning, which is weird since the rest of the day it’s oily.
So I started drinking almost 4 liters of water everyday (yes, I counted them with measured glass and all :P)And most importantly at least a full glass before sleep. And dry skin begone!
I found out also, with as much water as I’m drinking now, my body no longer aches in the morning after a late night. (i always sleep around 2-4am :P)
Now though, I started to use moisturizer since I heard that oily skin doesn’t equal well moisturized skin.
Hi Muta
Haha… Yep I make sure I have my requisite 8 glasses a day at least. 4 litres is quite a lot isn’t it? Our bodies can only handle so much water and it can lead to water retention if it doesn’t excrete it as quickly as you put it in. Also, just a note that too much water before bed can lead to puffy eyes in the morning. Oily skin does need a moisturiser – use a light gel based one if you are afraid of it being too oily.
Also, too much water can flush important nutrients out of your system before your body can process them.
hmm i tried this before but it did not work well for me, or at least i could not feel anything. i sleep in air con room too, and too much air con gives me blocked nose =/ i heard medklinn is really and it works!
Hi prettybeautiful
Probably the dry air is giving you the blocked nose? I know of people who have that problem too.
Is that your aircon remote control? If so, then we use the same air-conditioner. 😀 I don’t experienced dryness much, I wonder if its because my fan speed is maximum? Yours is set at the lowest speed. 😀
Hi Xisa
Yep it is my aircon remote 🙂 I never put my fan speed at maximum because its too cold. I read that 24 C is the optimum temperature for sleeping and it is for me at fan speed 1. If you set it higher, it blows harder and uses up more electricity and can make the air even dryer!
In winter, I usually put a large bowl/platter of water on the dresser because I really crank up the heater (goes on timer, goes off at midnight, comes on again at 5 so I don’t freeze to death when I wake up at 7) I noticed the water level DOES go away. Not sure about comfort level though. I don’t get as much scales on my legs? (I know, too much info!) 🙂
Hey geekchic
Having experienced heaters and winter air, I can empathize. But heaters are a whole new ballgame altogether! I used to do what you do i.e. place a large bowl of water near the heater. It DOES help hydrate the dry heater/winter air somewhat and yes I hated the scales on my legs – ugh!
I used to keep used ice-cream boxes to hold water to be placed right next to the radiator when I was in the UK. As I lived in a student accommodation then, my electricity bills were covered with my rent, so I blasted an extra convection heater all night 😛 I place an ice-cream box of water in front of the heater too, and it did work on relieving the dryness in the air a little.
I’m still searching for a good humidifier (and waiting for them to go on sale) so that I can use it this winter, and for more winters to come. At the end of the day, I think it would be much better than placing many bowls of water on the floor 😛
Hey Tine
Haha… That reminds me of what I used to do in winter too. I used a bowl instead and yes it did help. It helps less with air-conditioners though perhaps because the change in the air isn’t felt as much as heated air which is much dryer.
probably it would work better if your glass had a bigger surface area.
i guess the pail worked cause of that too. 😛
Hi June
Yep, but no glass in the world would be as huge as a pail 😀 I’m not fussed so now my experiment is over I’m back to a normal looking bedroom without pails of water in it
i used pail of water too, it works for me, i think… as much water disappear from the pail
Hi Vivien
Glad it works for you, though its a bit tedious 🙂
i do this every day but a BIG PAIL of water!!! and a humidifier machine too. i guess i over kill but i think it works. my son breathes better. you know he’s got severe sinus problems…
Hi jojoba
Really? Would it be easier to just use a fan instead? That way its not so drying.
doesn’t it seem a bit silly? Use a machine (air con) to cool + dry out the air + at the same time use a humidifier (another machine) to put the moisture back in the air… AIYAH!
Seriously, if only everyone could agree to plant more trees and NOT sleep with air con (using air con actually makes outside temperature hotter – so it’s ironic – you’re cooling your room in the short term but in the long term making it hotter in the general environment) when possible (obviously not on those really hot days) is the best option.
Hi Li
From an environmental view I have to agree with you. However, I think most of us are absolutely spoilt by the luxuries of modern living 😉
Ooh a pail-I need to try that, impractical as it is! My skin feels pretty dry at times with air cond so I usually alternate with fan on cooler days. Good tip!
Hey Monstro
If you can use a fan, do! I rather like sleeping with the fan on when I can. The sound is comforting 🙂
haha ya la
i think having a pail in your room would be weird
as if you wanna mop your floor but got too tired instead.
hehe you are so dedicated to try putting an entire pail of water for the experiment. i actually like the dryness of the aircon, i find the humidity so sticky ahaha. 😀 but that means i must put more moisturiser. haha. 😀
Hi Karen
Yep! I had to find out if it would work 😀
A doctor once told me to hang a wet towel in the room to increase the humidity, I guess that’s less hassle than a pail of water, why don’t you ladies give it a try ;p
Hi Amy
This is actually a very good tip, especially for travellers if you are staying in a hotel room. The wet towel helps make hotel rooms feel more comfortable because dry hotel air bothers even me. However, I can’t hang a wet towel anywhere in my room without it making a huge mess on the floor 🙂
I do that in winter because of the heater. Can’t wait till the winter is over.
Not related to the subject at hand since I don’t sleep in an air-conditioned room – I spot India! Err, at least, that’s what I remember her name to be… 🙂
Hey Rinnah
Yep she’s still India! Nice of you to remember her brief appearances 😉
Oh… I’ve been sleeping with a cup of water beside me since forever! Whenever I use the air-con, I would place a cup of hot water beside me… If I don’t I’ll wake up with a bloody nose the next morning =)
No money to buy a humidifier… lol… Mom investing on an air purifier at the moment =(
like tis^^
but i always jz do it whn i go to genting, haha
You should take a can of water and put it on an air vent. At my parent’s house, they do this, and they usually have to refill it every day.
We all have our sleeping temperature that is just right.
A little too hot, not comfortable.
A little too cold, not comfortable.
Sleeping temperature is tough business.
I’ve been putting a cup of water too, along the direction of the blown air from the AC unit.
Well, like you, I don’t think it increases the humidity level. If it does, well, it only contributes a little.
Gonna try using a pail of bucket tomorrow night.
A glass of water *does* help in an air conditioned room. But the idea is that you drink the water! The increase in water levels will increase the moisture content in your mucous membranes, adding to your comfort.
I have found that most people are reluctant to drink a glass of water at bedtime. The concern is that they will have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. However, if the room is dry, you will find this is not the case – try it! The most effective humidifier you can get is you! The amount of water the human body releases into the air is astonishing, and a glass of water is just about perfect for overnight.
Another “trick” I’ve used in ultra-dry hotel rooms is to poor a glass of water into one or two spare hotel towels, and wring them a bit to spread the water evenly. You can then hang the towels on the back of a chair, over a suitcase stand, or hotel drying rack. This will rapidly increase the humidity level in the room, and in most cases the towels are completely dry by morning.
But otherwise, I agree – a freestanding glass of water in a room does next to nothing. You can tell this is true because almost none of the water evaporates whereas the above two methods will completely evaporate the water overnight.