Sleeping with a fan on through the night could be terrible for you

Hot innit?

Here in Britain, we love to complain about the weather when it's cold and when it's hot.

In the wet and dreary months, all we want is a bit of sunshine.

And when it finally gets a bit warmer, we aren't equipped for the heat.

That's why many of us will head up to the loft to wipe the dust off the ol' electric fan to try and cope with the irritatingly warm bedroom at nighttime.

Getting a good night's sleep in the heat seems impossible without a fan, but it might be causing more issues than you think.

Without realising it, having a fan on a night could make you ill.

Keeping the fan on at night might not be a good thing. (Getty Stock Images)

According to The Sleep Advisor, as a fan moves air around the room, it causes flurries of dust and pollen to make its way into your sinuses - up your nose basically.

Therefore, if you're prone to asthma, hay fever, or general allergies - that lovely bit of light wind could be doing you more damage than you think.

Equally, if your fan has been collecting dust (see introductory paragraph) then those could be flying right your way every single time you turn it on.

Another thing that is considered being a potential drawback to having cool air blasted in your direction is the dry skin it can cause.

You could be over-drying your skin by using a fan on your body for excessive amounts of time.

And if you sleep with your eyes partially open you could also be at a disadvantage because your eyes will obviously be completely dried out which could cause irritation. Don't even get me started on sleeping with your mouth wide open.

Without realising it, having a fan on a night could make you ill. (Getty Stock Images)

Something else is sinus irritation, because the constant stream of air can dry out your sinuses. If it's particularly extreme it can result in your body producing excess mucus to try and compensate (sorry about the TMI).

In hand, this would mean you would be susceptible to blockage, stuffiness and headaches.

Something that might not seem as obvious is muscle pain. If you're waking up with stiff or sore muscles you might want to look at your little mate on the bedside table.

This is because the concentrated cool air can make muscles tense up and cramp. This problem is especially common for people who sleep with it near their face and neck.

There are obviously reasons to continue sleeping with the fan, not only does it control the temperature, stop the bed covers sticking to your body and prevents you from waking up every few minutes it can also act as a white noise and circulate air better.