As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, temperatures are gradually dropping, especially in high latitude areas. To combat the cold, people inevitably turn to heating, even while they sleep. However, experts warn that leaving the heating on all night not only increases energy costs but can also harm the body.
According to a report by the UK’s Daily Express, ensuring you stay warm throughout the night as temperatures drop is one method of keeping comfortable while sleeping. However, experts suggest avoiding this practice as it could lead to issues for both your household and health.
Experts from the UK company “BestHeating” and the hair care company “Neäl & Wølf” discussed why people should avoid sleeping with the heating on high.
These experts mentioned three reasons why you shouldn’t leave the heating on all night:
As energy costs, including electricity, continue to rise, running the central heating system all night could result in hefty bills. The central heating system relies on a boiler supplying steam or hot water to emit heat.
Jess Steele, a heating technology expert at “BestHeating,” shared the best ways to stay warm without leaving the heating on all night. She recommended, “Allow your radiators to run for a few hours in the evening, then set a timer to start heating an hour before you plan to wake up. This way, you don’t need to completely turn off the heating, and your boiler won’t need to work as hard to restart.”
Central heating systems can make the air inside a home dry, affecting the skin and hair of individuals.
Laura Elliott, chief stylist at “Neäl & Wølf,” stated that staying in a central heating environment for extended periods can have more disadvantages than advantages for hair. In winter, hair tends to become dry, appearing and feeling more fragile, with split ends becoming more common, all potentially attributed to central heating systems.
To address these issues and improve hair health, she advised increasing hair care routines as it helps restore some moisture. Additionally, attempting to limit stress factors that can further damage hair in winter is recommended. For instance, avoid excessive heat styling as it can strip natural oils from the hair, opt for heatless styling instead.
Steele mentioned that using heating all night may promote mold growth. Short-term use can help prevent mold infestation.
She explained that leaving the heating on all night would cause warm air to absorb excess moisture. When warm air comes into contact with cold windows, it leads to condensation on the windows, creating mold issues.
For those who feel cold at night or struggle to stay warm, choosing flannel sheets and wool blankets can help retain warmth.
An unusual method to stay warm in winter is by using a ceiling fan and changing the direction of the blades to clockwise rotation. This pushes the warm air towards the walls, which then bounces back into the room, enhancing warmth.
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