Sleeping with a ceiling fan on all night
Most Indians keep the ceiling fan running through winter nights out of habit, or because the room feels stuffy. The fan does not cool the air significantly in December, but it does dry it out, and dry air is one of the most consistent sinusitis aggravators on record. A 2019 study published in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology found that low indoor humidity significantly impaired mucociliary clearance, the process by which the mucus lining of your sinuses traps and expels allergens and bacteria. When that lining dries out, it cracks, inflammation follows, and the congestion that wakes you at 3 a.m. is the direct result. Turn the fan off, or drop it to its lowest setting. If the room still feels close, crack a window rather than circulate dry air all night.
