How does indoor air quality affect sleep?

Bedroom dust

We share our bedrooms with a range of biological particles and allergens, and these are often inhaled during sleep. Mattresses, pillows and bedding can collect house dust mites, allergens, bacteria and fungi from humans and pets. These biological materials can accumulate in settled dust and they're easily agitated as we move in sleep.

While we might be conscious of the dust in our homes, Dyson’s Global Dust Study reveals that many of us only vacuum when visible dust accumulates. “It is a cause for concern if people only clean when they spot visible dust on the floor, as many dust particles are microscopic in size,” says Monika Stuczen, Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson. “In fact, by the time people spot visible dust in the home, it is highly likely that there are dust mites in your home.”

The dust in our home is largely formed of dead skin cells, among other things like pollen, bacteria, and hair. Dust mites – microscopic in size – live off these dead skin cells. The proteins found in their droppings contribute towards the concentration of allergenic material in the home as well as how air quality affects sleep.

Mattresses and bedding products

Some materials used in mattresses and bedding products contain chemicals which can enter indoor air space. Known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), these chemicals can easily be released into the air at room temperature. The longer we spend in close contact with bedroom pollutant sources, the more VOCs we’re exposed to.

During sleep our bodies also increase the surface temperature of our mattresses. Increases in temperature and humidity create optimal conditions for house dust mites and help release VOCs into the air⁴, influencing how air quality affects sleep.