snake plant in bedroom improve sleep

Snake Plant In Bedroom – Best Plant To Improve Sleep And Relaxation

House plants make a wonderful addition to a living space. Presence of greenery really perks up a room, whether it’s in a house or office. Although it’s a basic knowledge that plants are good for our health, they are generally not considered as bedroom decor. And there is a good reason for this. According to the research, having most indoor plants in the bedroom could be bad for your health. However, a snake plant is a great choice when it comes to bedroom plants.

How Is A Snake Plant Good For The Bedroom But Most Plants Not?

Greenery inside and around the house elevates one’s mood. However, it appears that having plants in the bedroom could actually have the negative effect. It is a known fact that green plants help us to survive on this planet. Plants absorb water and sunshine and convert them into food and oxygen. But during the night time, most plants produce carbon dioxide instead. They are unable to create oxygen due to lack of sunlight to promote photosynthesis. So, when we want to rest and relax, plants compete with us for oxygen in the air. In low ventilated enclosed small rooms, this might pose some troubles. And if you have a lot of plants, it can increase the danger. Even though there is little to no risk of any serious harm, it’s a bad idea to keep plants in your bedroom. Particularly if you are suffering from health issues related to breathing, it’s best to avoid them, just to be safe.

You might be thinking how is a snake plant good for keeping in the bedroom? Why is it different from other plants? A short answer is – it not only absorbs carbon dioxide but also produces extra oxygen at night! And this is just one of the many benefits of snake plants. There are a number of plant species such as aloe vera, peace lily, spider plant, holy basil that can do this. But the snake plant stands out from the crowd due to its many equally amazing features.

A Night-Time Oxygen Factory

One of the optimal places to keep a snake plant (Mother in law’s tongue) is the bedroom. Snake Plants work even at night by reducing carbon dioxide from your home environment. This is possible due to their rare ability called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). CAM is a type of photosynthesis process at night. Some drought tolerant & dry climate plants like succulents possess this capability. And the snake plant is one of them. It emits oxygen in the evenings and nights, while also taking in CO2, a natural byproduct of breathing. This extraordinary function improves the quality of air you breathe during night. So you can not only be safe while sleeping, but also more relaxed because of all the extra oxygen.

Natural Air-Purifier

The Snake Plant is a great choice as a houseplant and one of the most recommended plants for improving air quality. Air pollution is an alarming factor that we face in today’s world. We tend to associate pollution with outdoor elements such as factories and vehicles. But it is not restricted to industrial areas that produce dark billowing clouds of smoke. Many times we don’t realize that air quality in our homes is not that great. Indoor spaces are also a source of unhealthy air due to the presence of many toxic volatile chemicals. Commonly found household items like hair sprays, paints, cleaning products, fragrances, plywood exude harmful toxins into the air. Houseplants work amazing for removing some dangerous pollutants from air inside your home.

NASA researched the ways of cleaning the air in space stations and showed some fascinating results on how plants can purify the air. The scientists found that some common house plants are capable of filtering out toxins from the air. Snake plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata) is one of the best when it comes to removal of pollutants. Apart from carbon dioxide, it can remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene. Snake plants have more leaf surface area, which makes them even better at absorbing toxins. Keeping snake plants in house is a small step to make the air free of pollutants and stay healthy. Plus it’s an all-natural and relatively inexpensive way.

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Sleep Better At Night

As stated earlier, the snake plant is one of those rarest plants that produce oxygen and controls emission of carbon dioxide even at night. For this reason, snake plants are actually considered to improve the quality of sleep. The rich air full of oxygen in your bedroom can let your nerves relax and help you enjoy a sound sleep. Apart from removing carbon dioxide, adding oxygen, and absorbing pollutants, this stunning plant will shield you against most of the airborne allergens. Keeping a couple of these miracle plants in your bedroom will greatly enhance your sleep hygiene and overall sleep quality. Snake plant is a great bedroom fix without any side effects. And it’s so simple to do. Give it a try and you will notice a difference within weeks.

A Lucky Feng Shui Plant

As per ancient Chinese culture, snake plants bring good positive energies in your home or office. They are considered lucky plants for Feng Shui purposes. It is believed that Sansevieria invites good fortune and money into the house. Most snake plants have upward growing stiff leaves, which is said to protect the owners from malicious energies. These auspicious plants are great at enhancing 8 virtues in your life – prosperity, intelligence, beauty, health, strength, art, longevity and poetry. So, having a snake plant in your bedroom allows these beneficial energies to surround you for many hours.

Reduce Stress And Anxiety

The quality of air plays a significant role in our overall health. Just imagine the way you feel after being in a busy city traffic versus after spending a day hiking on mountains, where the air is much cleaner. Plants in nature promote higher quality air, which improves the quality of your health as a whole. By increasing the flow of oxygen, houseplants bring a change in your mood too. Many studies have reported positive effects of plants on the human mind. Not only the good air quality but just the view of nature through the window is shown to release tension and stress. Houseplants alleviate many physical and psychological symptoms – including your anxiety and depression disorders.

Adding snake plants into your home helps you feel less stressed and more relaxed. If you work inside or spend long hours at home, having some greenery around will definitely improve your overall mood. Snake plants remove indoor toxins, which can greatly help to reduce breathing discomfort. These plants bring back energy levels after a panic attack. The anti-anxiety benefits of snake plants don’t end there. This awesome house plant can also improve reaction times, increase attentiveness, productivity and satisfaction, while also lowering mild depression. Plus tending to plants can be very therapeutic. If you don’t have access to a garden, houseplants is a great way to enjoy nature indoors.

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Beautify Your Bedroom

Plants are such a fantastic way of giving your indoor spaces a lively touch. Sansevieria is a beautiful houseplant with greenish succulent leaves. Its evergreen foliage can give your bedroom a modern and classy look. Snake plants are bold accent plants blessed with a real architectural look. Decorating your bedroom with some alive, stunning plants gives it a fresh vibe and makes you feel better. Snake plants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some types are shorter while others are taller with sword shaped leaves. You can choose from dozens of Sansevieria types, a perfect super stylish plant that will suit your bedroom decor.

No Fuss Easy Maintenance

Snake plants are famous for being able to survive almost any condition. If you are a busy person who can’t invest more time tending to plants, snake plant is a great pick for you. This evergreen succulent doesn’t require extra hours just to take care of it. Sansevieria is a hardy plant group that can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and light conditions. Plus these drought-tolerant plants can go for weeks (or even months) without water.

Being slow growing species, Mother in law’s tongue plants don’t necessarily need grooming. Once in a year or so, you can trim them down if you wish. They are relatively inexpensive and low-maintenance. Unlike many houseplants, snake plants can live a long healthy life without daily attention. For these reasons, a snake plant is a unique choice to make your bedroom more beautiful while giving yourself less troubles taking care of it.

How Many Snake Plants To Keep In A Bedroom?

Theoretically you could live in a completely air sealed room with snake plants in it. In such cases where there is no air flow, 6-8 waist-high plants are needed per person to survive. NASA suggests that to fully avail the benefits of air purifying ability of snake plants, place at least one plant per 100 square feet of space. Considering the average standard sized bedroom, you may need 2-4 snake plants for your room.

References:

  • Chen-Yen Chang and Ping-Kun Chen, Human Response to Window Views and Indoor Plants in the Workplace, 2005, Research article
  • V Peart, Indoor air quality in Florida houseplants to fight pollution, University of Florida, 1992

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