Bedroom ‘burp’ before bed is key to sleeping deeper and longer, experts say – here’s why

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Question: Do you sleep with your bedroom door open or closed at night? If you close it and wake up constantly at night, then leaving it open could be the immediate solution to your frequent awakenings.

Yes, scientists say that sleeping in an unventilated room leads to an increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂), which leads to broken and disturbed sleep.

To learn more, we spoke with mold and air quality expert and HomeCleanse founder Michael Rubino and sleep medicine physician Dr. William Lu, MD.

Here these certified experts explain what happens to the air we breathe when we sleep in an unventilated room and what that means for our sleep.

Key recommendations

• Experts say sleeping with the bedroom door closed won’t lead to CO₂ poisoning

• However, sleeping in an unventilated bedroom can cause CO₂ levels rise rapidly, leading to sleep disturbances

• Cigarette smoke, candles and incense sticks also release CO_2, contributing to the increase in gas levels

A closed door turns your bedroom into its own bubble

It’s the middle of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, which often means freezing temperatures at night. Therefore, it makes sense to close the windows and doors to stay comfortable at night.

However, by removing ventilation from your bedroom, you are effectively creating a CO₂ bubbles, experts warn. That’s because when we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale CO₂.

“If the bedroom door is closed, you usually reduce the air exchange,” explains Michael, who is also president of the Change the Air Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safer indoor air quality for everyone.

“The bedroom becomes its own little ‘air bubble’.” That matters because the air in that room changes overnight,” says Michael. “Breathe the CO₂ for hours.”

As well as increased CO levels_2, moisture from your breath builds up, which can lead to mold growth (investing in one of the best dehumidifiers will help with this).

In addition, any VOCs from furniture, bedding, perfumes, candles, cleaning residues will remain longer in a closed room, with evidence suggesting that this, along with increased CO₂ levels, can also affect sleep quality.

If the CO2 is high, it usually means that the room is not getting enough fresh air for the number of people in it

Michael Rubino, indoor air quality expert

As a source of rising CO levels₂ is our breathing, levels can rise faster than we expect, especially during a night’s sleep, says Michael. The size of your bedroom and the number of people sleeping in it can also affect CO growth₂ he stood up.

There is some research that suggests that CO overnight₂ levels can land in the 1,620 to 3,300 ppm range under low ventilation conditions. However, these levels are shown to drop below 1,000 ppm when ventilation is increased.

Michael points out that CO levels₂ above are not cause for alarm, but should prompt you to improve your air circulation.

“Just to be clear, CO₂ the levels we’re talking about in most bedrooms aren’t “you’re poisoned,” says Michael. “CO₂ it is mainly a hint. If it’s big, it usually means the room isn’t getting enough fresh air for the number of people breathing in it.”

Why keeping your bedroom door closed can wake you up at night

Closing the bedroom door behind you is probably one of the last things you do before climbing into bed. However, sleeping in an unventilated bedroom leads to increased CO levels₂which scientific research indicates can disrupt your sleep.

When carbon dioxide levels rise, our sleep often becomes lighter and more fragmented

Dr. William Lu, sleep medicine physician

“When carbon dioxide levels rise, our sleep often becomes lighter and more fragmented,” explains Dr. Lu, medical director at digital sleep clinic Dreem Health.

“You probably won’t have trouble falling asleep, but you may get less deep and restful sleep.”

Studies suggest that elevated levels of CO₂ in the air can translate to higher CO levels₂ in our bloodstream.

“Because there is an element of carbon dioxide homeostasis in our bodies, the response to increased carbon dioxide may be less deep sleep, lighter sleep, and more awakenings,” the sleep doctor continues.

Conversely, sleeping in a well-ventilated bedroom means you can get a deeper, more restful sleep with fewer nighttime awakenings.

“A well-ventilated bedroom helps keep our carbon dioxide levels constant and supports the body’s level of carbon dioxide homeostasis,” says Dr. Lu. “This becomes an improved environment conducive to more restful sleep.”

How to reduce CO2 levels in your bedroom

Opening the bedroom door or window, even just ajar, to allow a constant flow of fresh air is the obvious step to improving bedroom ventilation.

However, as Michael admits, this is not always an option for everyone. “A closed door can be a fire safety benefit. So I don’t treat it as ‘an open door is always best.’ I treat it like: if you sleep with the door closed, you should be more intentional about how the room gets fresh air,” he explains.

With that in mind, here are three other ways to reduce CO₂ levels of your bedroom for better sleep.

1. “Burp” your bedroom before bed

Burping the bedroom is a slightly off-putting term, but it essentially describes the practice of ventilating your bedroom for a period of 5-10 minutes. In Germany, they call this practice “luften”, which means to ventilate.

Whatever you call it, opening your bedroom window wide before going to bed, even in the middle of winter, allows fresh air to flood into your bedroom and forces stale air out.

Shock ventilation pockets like the ones above are especially important in the winter months when most of us have our bedrooms sealed off for warmth. This results in CO₂ levels increasing throughout the day.

2. Avoid lighting candles

Co.₂ levels rise steadily while we sleep, as we exhale when we breathe. However, there are other factors that contribute to increased CO₂ levels in the bedroom, which includes any product or appliance that burns fuel.

These could be candles or incense sticks, which release CO₂ when burned In addition, these products likely contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can harm your respiratory health.

“Plug-ins, heavily scented sprays, candles, incense, even heavily scented laundry in the bedding. If someone is already sleeping poorly and the room is under-ventilated, adding more scent or smoke doesn’t do them any favors,” says Michael.

So if you can’t open your door or window while burning them, keep the candles and incense sticks before bed.

3. Don’t seal off your bedroom from airflow

To keep CO₂ levels drop while you sleep, air must be able to flow in and out of your bedroom. Opening the door or window, even just a crack, provides much-needed ventilation.

If security is a concern, consider a door chain for safety. Or alternatively, look at products like a window restrictor. They block your open window, but at a low angle.

“If the door stays closed, fine. Make sure the room still has a way to circulate air,” concludes Michael.

“Sometimes it’s just a clear space under the door. Sometimes it’s a properly designed transfer opening. The idea isn’t the hardware. The idea is that the air needs to be able to circulate through the room, not just sit in it.”

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