Overheated, dry indoor air can cause a myriad of health and personal care issues, from sore throats to uncontrollable hair. A too-hot house can cause skin damage, inadequate sleep, headaches and more.
Maertin Heating & Cooling is here to explain why keeping your home at 68˚, with a slight drop during the night, is the healthiest choice for your family.
68 for beautiful skin
Heat sucks moisture out of your skin. Your skin then slows cell creation, meaning the outer layer of skin isn’t replaced as usual, leaving your hands, face and more dull, itchy and flaky. Often, skin is so dry it may crack and bleed, or be so itchy that you scratch while sleeping, causing bleeding.
68 to prevent nosebleeds
Each time you breathe in overheated air, your nasal passages get drier and drier, and the blood vessels inside your nose get more and more fragile, making them much more likely to rupture, even with the slightest bump. If you are inclined to allergies, sneezing and congestion makes the chance of rupture even greater.
68 to prevent sore throats
Just like your nose, your throat is full of mucous membranes that work best when they stay moist. Especially during the night, when many people breathe through the mouth, every breath is dryness in and moisture out. Your family may wake with painful sore throats that last most of the morning.
68 to prevent dry eyes
With every blink, you re-coat your eyes with moisture. When the air around you is too hot, it dries that layer of moisture and makes eyes scratchy, itchy and painful. Eyes may also start “running” or watering to combat the dry air.
68 to tame crazy hair and electric shocks
Static electricity builds up throughout the year in your home, but it takes dry, hot air to release it. Static electricity causes hair to stand up on end, clothes to cling uncomfortably and shocks that can really hurt.
Just a few degrees cooler than 68 for better sleep
Your body sleeps best when the air is between 60 and 65 degrees. When the indoor temperature drops about 2 hours before bedtime and your body releases melatonin as sunlight fades, your body gets the signal to wind down. A cooler temperature also helps you achieve healthy restorative or “slow-wave” sleep.
**During these extreme frigid temperatures, Maertin recommends keeping your nighttime temperature at 64-65 degrees. Lower than 64 will cause your furnace to work too hard to get back to 68 in the morning.**
How do I get my family on board with 68 degrees?
Go slowly. Lower your temperature one degree each day until you reach that magic 68. While the temperature is being lowered, get out the blankets, quilt and afghans and place them on couches and chairs where your family gathers.
Install a humidifier for even better health!
It’s simple – hotter air is drier air. Even at 68 degrees, your home is dryer in the winter than your body likes. The EPA recommends that home humidity range between 25-40% in the winter. Maertin Heating & Cooling can install a humidifier, sized just right for your home, that will pump moisture back into your indoor air, relieving dry skin, nosebleeds, sore throats and much more.
Would you like to schedule an appointment to talk about your home’s dry air and how Maertin Heating & Cooling can help? Just click here or call 708-479-9350. We’ll be happy to assist you!
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