Doctor Shares Why Keeping Your Windows Closed At Night Might Be Messing With Your Sleep

According to one doctor, something as small as closing your window at night might be the reason you're not getting the quality sleep you need.

We all love a good night's rest. But even when you think you've gotten enough hours, waking up groggy or sluggish is all too familiar for many of us.

As it turns out, whether or not you sleep with the window open might be playing a bigger role in your rest than you’d expect.

If you live somewhere that’s warm and pleasant, cracking open the window at night might seem like an easy fix.

But for those of us in colder climates, sleeping with the window open in the middle of winter is a hard no.

Still, after learning how it could affect your health and sleep, you might at least consider giving it a try now and then.

Of course, plenty of other things affect sleep too, like the quality of your mattress or pillows, how much screen time you’re getting before bed, and even whether you’re snacking late at night.

But something as simple as letting in some fresh air might actually have a noticeable impact on your ability to get decent sleep.

Dr. Eric Berg posted a video on TikTok where he broke down the logic behind it, and if you've already guessed the reason, you’re probably not too far off.

Yep, it's all about the air in your room. When the windows are closed, oxygen levels can drop and carbon dioxide levels can climb and that imbalance could be what’s keeping you up at night.

Cold or not... you might need to brave it Kinga Krzeminska / Getty

Dr. Berg laid it out pretty clearly: "You're in a room when the windows are not open and you're not getting enough oxygen, because maybe you don't also have enough plants in your room which give you oxygen, you may have a tendency to have more CO2 in that room."

He added: "And just that alone can affect your sleep in a negative way. This is why, when you open the window if you can, or you get a plant next to where you're sleeping, you can definitely sleep better just for the fact that you're increasing the oxygen and you're lowering the CO2."

And continued: "So many people are spending all day in a room with a higher level of CO2 and not enough oxygen."

The doctor insisted people needed to get more oxygen TikTok / Eric Berg

If you’re already shivering at the thought of cracking a window open during a chilly night in December, don’t worry—there are other ways to bring more oxygen into your space without freezing.

One of the easiest things you can do is add a few houseplants to your bedroom setup. Not only do they spruce up the room, but they also help improve air quality naturally.

So even if the window stays shut, you’ve got options for cutting down the carbon dioxide levels in your sleep space.

That said, if you’re the kind of person who accidentally kills a plant just by walking past it, your best bet might still be to let in some fresh air blankets and all.