Ventilation and sleep quality

We sleep more than twenty years during our lives. Sleep is essential for physical and psychological health. Yet, nearly no standards define indoor environmental quality conditions for optimal sleep. In this paper, we present a summary of studies examining the effects of bedroom ventilation on sleep quality. The results suggest that the current ventilation standards for dwellings are inadequate concerning requirements of outdoor air supply rates in bedrooms and need to be revised.

The Effects of Bedroom Mechanical Ventilation on Health and Sleep Quality

Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. The quality and efficiency of sleep are strongly influenced by the sleep environment, including indoor air quality. This study investigates the influence of mechanical ventilation on bedroom air quality during sleep and its impact on sleep efficiency and quality. Objective and subjective measurements were conducted to assess the effects of operating a mechanical ventilation system.

12 December 2023, Webinar – Smart ventilation in non-residential buildings. How to assess? How to design?

A smart ventilation system is able to continually adjust itself to provide the desired IAQ while minimizing energy use, utility bills, thermal discomfort and noise. A smart ventilation system is also responsive to e.g., occupancy, outdoor conditions, and can provide information about e.g., IAQ, energy use and the need for maintenance or repair.

English

General economic indicator for performance assessment of smart ventilation systems

In the frame of the project Flux50 smart ventilation, researchers and industrials aim at qualifying ventilation in mid-sized buildings through multidisciplinary consideration of sleep quality, user satisfaction, acoustic comfort, installation, maintenance, resilience and indoor air quality. As those factors may impact at different levels it is important to select a common metric for evaluation. Assessment of financial costs induced by the various categories will be used in that purpose.

Feedback from the AIVC & ASHRAE Webinar "Sleeping Environment IAQ and Sleep Quality"

The recordings and the slides of the AIVC & ASHRAE Webinar: "Sleeping Environment IAQ and Sleep Quality" are now available online here.

The full collection of past events’ recordings and slides can be found here.

English

12 January 2023, Webinar – Sleeping Environment IAQ and Sleep Quality

Our bodies need good rest and sleep as part of regular recuperation to enable us to perform our normal activities in life.  Sleep is an integral part of human life and the importance and significance of good bedroom IAQ, indoor air pollution, ventilation as well as bedroom thermal environment during sleep cannot be emphasized more. Yet, there is a paucity of information in the scientific literature in this regard, especially pertaining to IAQ in sleeping environments and sleep quality.  Are our bedrooms adequately ventilated at all times to maintain good IAQ?

English

Association between Indoor Air Quality and Sleep Quality

The association between indoor air quality (IAQ) and sleep quality was investigated in this study. A total of 27 participants (14 males and 13 females, 20-33 yrs.) without any sleep disorders and chronic diseases were recruited and divided into two groups: a polysomnography (PSG) group and a non-PSG group. The IAQ was changed by opening or closing windows. There were two phases for the experiment and two nights in each phase including one adaptive night and one test night, and around one-week washout period between two phases.

Measurements of sleep quality with low-cost sleep monitors: Effect of bedroom air quality and sleep quality

More than 20 years of one’s life is spent in the bedroom when sleeping. Sleep quality is essential for our health, well-being and next-day performance. However, there is very little information on how bedroom air quality affects the quality of sleep. One of the reason could be that the accurate measurements of the quality of sleep have been the domain of sleep research groups and sleep laboratories using polysomnography. In the recent years, however, many low-cost sleep monitors and actigraphs made their way into the market.

The effect of CO2 on the nocturnal restlessness of an Alzheimer patient

At typical indoor CO2 levels there is no scientific evidence that CO2 is harmful to comfort and health of healthy persons, though there is a potential for negative effects on some aspects of performance. Research also indicates that insufficient bedroom ventilation may negatively affect the quality of sleep.