I’ve always been curious about this. I know a few people who sleep with a fan on year-round, even when it’s freezing outside. Some say it helps with white noise, others claim it improves air circulation, but I don’t fully get it. If it’s cold, wouldn’t the fan just make you colder?
I tried it once, and while the sound was kinda soothing, I felt like I was just making myself unnecessarily chilly. Do people bundle up in blankets to counter the cold? Or is there some other reason I’m missing? Maybe it’s just a habit?
I also heard that some people sleep better with moving air because it prevents the room from feeling “stuffy.” But wouldn’t that depend on how well-ventilated your room is?
Is there actually a scientific reason for this, or is it just personal preference? I’d love to hear from those who swear by it—what’s your reasoning?
Comments
It’s more comfortable for me to have air circulating. It’s not a temperature thing – I use the same amount of blankets year round.
It’s just personal preference for me, and since it doesn’t apply to everyone universally, it’s probably not scientific.
The sound as well as the air circulation help me sleep. It’s very hard for me to sleep without some background noise and I also prefer the room to be cold / breezy. Fans are perfect and cost less than air conditioning.
You answered your own question. Plus, it is just clearly not for you. It feels nice to have air moving around and gives white noise.
Weird fact: I told my Korean girlfriend about the fan in the bedroom of a tropical resort I recently went to. She made me promise to never do it again because that can kill me. Apparently, some Koreans believe electric fans running in a bedroom at night can kill you!
For me it’s because if it’s cold outside, that means I have my central heating on – heated air plus my dog and husband in the bed with me makes things feel very toasty!
So it helps to have the fan on to move things around so it doesn’t feel so stifling.
I do also use it for white noise, but it’s important to me in the winter to diffuse the heat.
I just need air movement on my face. Been this way since I was little and I have a very hard time sleeping without it.
The noise lol has nothing to do with the temp for me, it’s not even pointed at me
the fan is cold so i can be made warm by a blanket. it’s cozy as hell
if it’s hot that night i can just stick a leg out (my area fluctuates temp a lot when seasons change)
White noise.
It drowns out my tinnitus
im scared of the dark, the fan creates noise that will drown out creaks etc.
Noise I love the hum
For me it kinda dampens the noise from cars going up and down the street and any noises inside the house.
White noise and air circulation, it’s a double win. I also think it evens out the air temp between the cycles of A/C or central heating.
I like the white noise. I like the cold so that’s kind of side benefit.
My classmate said that for 20 years of his marriage,every single night even during – 40 degree Celcius winter nights,his wife only sleep with the fan on. It’s like her sleeping pill. I guess she needs white noise to sleep. He couldn’t do anything to change it so he invested in a good pair of noise cancelation headphones lol
I suffer from misophonia so random noises trigger me. A fan is on full blast year round aimed right at me or I can’t sleep. If anyone ever breaks in my home, I’ll be murdered in my sleep as I won’t hear them coming!
The fan creates white noise for me bc complete silence while I’m trying to fall asleep makes my mind race therefore keeping me from falling asleep. If it’s hot or cold I adjust the oscillating setting to my desire.
It’s both the white noise and the air movement for me. Fans don’t change the temperature of the room, and they don’t need to be blowing directly at you to get the benefits.
I have one of those box fans next to the window which gets turned on every night. It’s both white noise and to bring cooler air into the room. I grew up sleeping in cold rooms so it gives me a headache to sleep in a stuffy room (warmer than 60F). I would also quantify that living in northern CA doesn’t end up with many nights below 40F. Best sleep is when room is closer to 50F with the fan in the open window and a couple of quilts on the bed!
I sleep hot so I need fans blowing in the direction of the bed.
Also I would rather be waterboarded than sleep in dead silence.
White noise
Always hot at night, even when it’s freezing outside. Sometimes have two fans on for a full air tunnel. Also like the white noise. I find it helps me breathe better too when I’m stuffy at night.
Stagnant air sucks and background noise is appreciated.
My wife has to have the fan on to sleep. I don’t mind the sound but hate the breeze. I sleep on her lee side.
Ambience?
The scientific reason *is* personal preference. I like the sound of the fan and the feeling of the breeze.
I just like the airflow and I also always drive with my car windows open at least a little if not fully open lol that’s the best
i have tinnitus and it’s easier to fall asleep to the sound of the fan compared to the sound of constant, high pitched ringing.
Personally I have a fan running in my room whenever my window is closed. I like it colder, so I can bundle up under the covers. It’s a feeling safe and comforted thing for me.
For the white noise. I’m a light sleeper, and my roommate likes to sleep with music or the TV on for similar reasons. Having the fan on drowns any noises out and lets me sleep peacefully. If it’s cold, I can point the fan away from me or use additional blankets, and I won’t notice.
Brother had tinnitus and the white noise helped him sleep
I like the noise and the airflow. When it’s cold outside and the heat is on inside, it can make my room feel very stuffy, making me get nosebleeds. If i get too cold, i can just wrap up in an extra blanket
It just feels good, idk what else to say.
I can’t handle still air. I start to sweat and become nauseous and claustrophobic, regardless of temperature, if I can’t feel moving air across my face. On the flip side to that, with that moving air, I can tough out temperature extremes that most other people won’t take.
I also add blankets to the rest of me, while making sure my face stays where I can feel airflow.
Air circulation
I have a 30in wind machine. It’s pretty loud which is great for the white noise. But I don’t aim it at me because I don’t want the airflow. I just need the sound.
i can’t sleep or be in my room without my fan on, it’s possibly some undiagnosed mental illness. but also because i can’t sleep if the room isn’t freezing, i honestly don’t get people who are fine with being in a neutral temperature when you have the blessing of an a/c!! my fan isn’t nothing crazy, it’s just a nice small box fan that’s on my night table. but even when it’s cold out, i really rather the heat to be off — drives me crazy to feel the heat.
also, i honestly feel like i can’t breathe if i don’t feel air on me. i’ve been sleeping with earplugs lately so i barely hear the fan, yet i can tell when it’s not on. it could be a preference or some type of mental illness symptom, whatever you feel is more right hahah.
i’ve heard of people that have air purifiers around the house for the white noise, but it’s people that live alone or with small children. it may have to do with the silence, because i can’t be in my room alone without a fan but i can be in my living room without a fan if there is other people.. idk it’s weird and i barely notice that it’s a habit. don’t think i just don’t feel cold, most of the time i’m always cold, but that’s why i always have a blanket somewhere or warm clothing around the house, because why not?!
The white noise.
I don’t point the fan at me.
But learning that a box fan can drown out 98% of any noises that might wake me up in the night is one of the biggest quality of life improvements I’ve ever come across for my sleep.
I need my room to be freezing or I can’t sleep. I kept my window AC unit in my window even in the winter because of it. I also will put a tabletop fan on my desk as well sometimes.
I sleep with the window unit ac fan on in the colder months and the ac on in the warmer months. I use the fan in the winter for a few reasons. Two main reasons are that our room is the warmest in the house and my husband snores. The fan somewhat drowns out his snoring and keeps the room cool enough to be comfortable. I like the air circulating too.
Ever since I hit perimenopause, I need the fan to be running & the windows cracked all winter long. When I get cold, I have an extra blanket, but I rarely use it for the entire night.
White noise.
i’m a light sleeper, and a fan has the perfect sound that drowns out nearly everything. and white noise machines i’ve heard can’t compare, they don’t produce the low frequencies that a fan does. earplugs are annoying to use and still not as good.
White noise
Many people use fans for the white noise and improved air circulation they provide. Even in cold weather, they often bundle up in blankets to stay warm. The constant airflow can prevent the room from feeling stuffy and help create a more consistent, calming sleeping environment
My cat screams when I’m asleep
I have terrible ADHD and it drowns out what’s going on in my brain.
I run really hot all the time so I need the airflow.
That’s it really.
One word. Menopause.
If I don’t have the fan on then I physically feel the static quiet in the room. It’s very uncomfortable and almost hurts my ears. The fan has a nice relaxing hum.
Most ceiling fans have summer and winter settings. Put the fan in winter mode when it’s cold and it won’t make you any colder.
I have mine on year-round because I like the air movement.
My brain cannot go quiet if there’s not some kind of background noise.
Breathing seems better . Helps dying people feel comfortable with a fan in the face too
you pretty much nailed it in your post… white noise. circulating air feels nice on the skin. makes the room feel less stuffy.
but also you dont have to have it set to hurricane gale force winds or directly at your head.
Yup. We have a friend who sleeps over and every time she’s like "where’s the fan"
Because that’s what I like.
I had a ceiling fan in my room when I lived with my family. I’d have it on most of the year, even if it was cooler. I just sleep better when it’s cooler.
I moved in with my husband. He has central A/C in the house but it doesn’t seem to reach the bedrooms at night.
He doesn’t like it as cool though. It’s been tough to sleep for me.
The noise and the hot flashes
For two reasons the white noise helps aid sleep and the cold room does the same thing according to studies and self experience
Ambient noise!
My wife does this, she says she gets hot at night. F*** yeah she does, she’s smoking 😜
Breeze, white noise.
I need the sound
It’s all about that white noise, baby.
Air flow
There is an urban legend that a fan at night can kill you.
Some people might be hoping it’s true.
For the noise and so the air doesn’t get stagnant.
My wife has hit menopause
Hot flashes. She needs it cold. I cover up and survive.
I like the sensation of air hitting my face and the sound
My bedroom is about 30 feet from a major road. The traffic kept me up so I got a fan. I have a fan that tilts. I keep it tilted up in the winter and keep in on me during the rest of the year. I’ve used it for, gosh, 13 years now? It has become such a part of my sleep, I doubt I could go without it now.
I sleep very hot. Winter or summer, I often wake up sweating. The fan cools me down and I also like the white noise.
white noise
I like the air to move. Stagnant air will wake me up. I have a ceiling fan to move the air but I’ll leave it on low when it’s cold.
I’m someone who sleeps with a fan on no matter what the temp is. For me, it’s about having moving air more than anything else. Stagnant stale air makes me feel really weird internally and sometimes borderline sickly in a way. I gotta have moving air in my room
I’ve used a fan my entire life. I can’t stand still, stuffy air and the white noise keeps it peaceful in the room. In winter I just snuggle deeper into the blankets. I can also fall asleep with an open window on a breezy evening if I hear the sound of rustling leaves on the trees. That’s divine.
I used to work nights, so in the summer at +35-40 degrees Celcius (95-104 Farenheit); I required an air conditioning just to sleep. Now that I no longer work nights; it’s for the white noise i grew accustomed to over many years and for the air circulation. It just seems fresher when i’m sleeping. So from my experiences; both white noise and air movement. I’ve grown to enjoy bundling up nice and warm with just my face peeking out of the covers. It’s relaxing for me.
My need for a fan outweighs my need for a relationship apparently.
I have my fan running every night. In the winter, I can flip a switch and have the fan go clockwise and help the room stay warmer.
My fan is always on low in my bedroom. Year round. Manly for keeping air moving more than keeping cool.
Because we like air
Because once I get hot and snuggly under the blankets, I started to sweat and I hate that. The fan keeps me from being humid.
Cold or not, but I like the feeling of moving air
Need air circulation in my room BADLY and the steady hum helps me sleep.
I like the air circulating. It makes everything feel less claustrophobic and more open when I sleep. Even if I wake up under five pillows and tangled in sheets
Sound + air flow.
My husband sleeps with a fan every night, no matter where we are. He has ADHD and helps drown out noise etc so he can sleep.
Personally, I prefer to be a little cold.
I feel claustrophobic if I’m in any room where I can’t feel the air circulating.
Stagnant air sucks, and silence sucks.
Also I can put more blankets on.
It feels like I can’t breathe without wind on my face
Noise and air flow on my face.
The noise is comforting, and if you have roommates and thin walls, it’s better to hear the fan than your roommate.
Noise and air flow.
If it’s quiet I hear everything and can’t sleep.
Also, I get hot easily so need air flow.
Additionally, I am probably a bit crazy
I think it’s my ADHD Need the constant airflow and noise. Even at work I have my desk fan always on.
I like the feel of the air on my face
I am not sure what type of cold weather you are used to but most of us up north do routinely use blankets. The number increases during winter. Outside of the assistance with drowning out tinitus, it also circulates the warm air in the room.
👋 👋 👋 . the lovely sound to drown out whatever, SNORING mostly, the lovely air blowing across you. Once you’re used to it, it’s a bugger to ever be without. 30- or 100F, that baby is on at night.
I keep mine on high year round. I hate when there’s no air moving and I love the sound. In the winter I don’t feel colder really, maybe because it’s moving the heat around also?
I can’t sleep with stale air. I need movement.
Background noise. The silence is too loud.
Air circulation & white noise mostly
Edit: there are seasonal directions a fan should run. Maybe you didn’t flip the switch?
I need the air flow. Even at work I have a fan. Stagnant air makes me feel like something is choking me
Without it I feel like I’m suffocating.
I feel like I’m suffocating if I don’t have the fan on. Moreover, the white noise is soothing. 4 seasons, the fan is on. In summer, 4 fans are on high in my bedroom.
A fan does not change the temperature. It may change how the temperature *feels* on your bare (or lightly covered) skin, but it doesn’t lower the actual temperature.
All of the reasons you’ve given OP!
White noise
Air circulates (a bit)
Room feels less stuffy even if window is open too
Soothing
I can’t sleep without a fan next to me. If it feels too cold I turn it to face away from me.
Most of the time I like the cool air blowing in my face – the rest of me is warm under the duvet. Good if you’re a menopausal mess.
It’s a secret, you wouldn’t understand
1) air circulation
2) noise
3) I overheat really easily. I often keep a window open when it’s cold because of it
For me its airflow. I can smell the stale air in a room and feel the ambient temperature on my whole body. If its not on its a hot, stuffy mess of rolling over and sweating and running out of breath. Turn the fan on, nothing. No problems whatsoever as long as the room is under 80
Circulating air feels good, and i like it when I can snuggle deeply under the blankets.
I like to have the air moving.
I need my air to be moving. Still, dead air fucks up my sinuses, gives me headaches, makes my throat sore — yeah. I don’t always have a fan on, but I ALWAYS have windows open.
I like the air to circulate around. Keeps it fresher imo.
I do it because I’m always hot under my blanket but I need my blanket for comfort. It sounds like an oxymoron but it’s true. The fan cools the parts of me that are outside of the blanket and it evens out.
I get very hot when I sleep regardless if I sleep nude or not, even during the winter, and have one of those blower fans you can find at Home Depot pointed at my bed to keep me cool, otherwise I’ll soak the bed with sweat.
The noise helps me sleep also.
Yes stirs the air.
i need that air to be MOVING, if it’s stagnant i can’t handle it. also my temperature changes a lot overnight because of the meds im on, so i need the option to be both cold and warm. i can’t sleep without a blanket, i need SOMETHING on top of me, but if it’s too hot then i need that fan
I absolutely cannot sleep in silence. Silence will wake me up actually. Plus, the air circulation helps, and I prefer my bedroom cold. I can’t sleep without a fan on. I will bring one to a hotel if I need to.
Cuz I overheat…and I like the feel of being under a blanket.
Let me enjoy my contradiction!
I need the air to be moving. Even with a window open, if there isn’t a good freeze, I need the fan on.
I bundle up with blankets but with no air passing I’ll get way too hot and sweat through the night. But I also need a blanket to sleep. Without the blanket it gets too cold but at the same time I’ll start to feel too hot without any air kind of wicking me through the night. My bed runs a little hot so a cooler bed might help but that it might get harder to fall asleep
I overheat super fast
I’m a hot sleeper. The house will be freezing cold and I’m going to have my fan on. It’s soothing to be cold and uncomfortable to be even slightly warm, so being cold and covering up with a blanket is maximal comfortability
The white noise drowns out a lot of the ambient noise from outside, and other areas of my place
I like the feeling of the breeze.
There’s a passage in Moby Dick that had the first and final word on this matter:
>> To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.
Hot flashes
I use it for the noise, and I just turn the air away from me when I don’t need it to keep cool
I need the air moving
100% white noise
I like the sound
1.) Tinnitus
2.) I can’t stand stagnant air