This is why sleeping with a fan on during the heatwave is harmful to your health

The hot summer temperatures in the UK may be nice during the day, but when evening falls, the humid nights can make getting a restful sleep especially difficult.

And with temperatures forecast to soar as high as the mid 30s in some parts of the country this week, sleeping isn't going to get any easier.

In an effort to stem the hot temperatures, many people will turn to using a fan in their bedroom at night to create a cooling breeze. But while it may be a popular and effective method, sleeping with a fan on can actually be bad for your health.

A trigger for allergies

According to Sleep Advisor, keeping a fan on at night can trigger a number of health problems, thanks to the air flow blowing flurries of dust and pollen around the room.

These particles will enter your sinuses, which can be particularly troublesome for those who suffer with asthma, hay fever and other similar allergies.

Fans can blow flurries of dust and pollen around the room, triggering allergies, asthma and hay fever (Photo: Shutterstock)

Dust and pollen may also collect on your fan, meaning the particles are continually spreading through the air every time it is switched on.

Drying the air

As well as proving hazardous for allergy sufferers, the constant blast of cool air on your body can result in dry skin.

While using moisturisers can help to prevent this, those prone to excessively dry skin should use caution and be wary of not over drying it.