ShareEffects of air conditioner airflow on human sleep.
A recent study published in Energy and Buildings measures the impact of the velocity of an air conditioner airflow on the quality of sleep.
A Japanese team of researchers investigated the effects of varying air conditioner airflow on human sleep and thermoregulation. The hypothesis was that a higher air velocity of airflow disturbed human sleep more than a lower air velocity. The experimentation was carried out on ten healthy young man as subjects. Two rooms were needed to compare the results between a high velocity air flow and a low one.
There was not a large difference in the total amount of time during each sleep stage between the two groups. The comfort sensation did not differ significantly either. Nevertheless, the first group felt more of the airflow than the second group.
Second analysis:
A further analysis was then conducted, and physiological responses to the airflow were measured. The number of time body movements, the number of times heart rate increased and the number of times some sleep stages changed to the sage of wakefulness to varying airflow in the first group were significantly higher than those in the second one.
Conclusion:
A higher velocity of airflow had a negative influence on sleep.
For more information, see the Fridoc bibliographical note of the article.
- In the first room, the temperature was 26.4°C. The average velocity of the airflow was 0.14 m/s. The maximum air velocity above the bed was 1.1 m/s. The airflow blew from the air conditioner above the bed 28 times per night.
- In the second room, the temperature was the same, 26.4°C... The average velocity of the airflow was 0.04 m/s. The maximum air velocity above the bed was 0.3 m/s. The airflow blew from the air conditioner above the bed 11 times per night.
There was not a large difference in the total amount of time during each sleep stage between the two groups. The comfort sensation did not differ significantly either. Nevertheless, the first group felt more of the airflow than the second group.
Second analysis:
A further analysis was then conducted, and physiological responses to the airflow were measured. The number of time body movements, the number of times heart rate increased and the number of times some sleep stages changed to the sage of wakefulness to varying airflow in the first group were significantly higher than those in the second one.
Conclusion:
A higher velocity of airflow had a negative influence on sleep.
For more information, see the Fridoc bibliographical note of the article.