While dry heat is not as bad as humid heat, it can still get pretty uncomfortable (here’s a quick breakdown of dry vs. moist heat). Dry heat can give you nosebleeds, cause sore throat, make your eyes irritated and dry out your skin. It can aggravate allergies, worsen respiratory problems like asthma and trigger skin problems such as acne and dermatitis. 

Any of these issues can be problematic enough to cause you sleepless nights. So if you are in a place that gets dry heat during the summer, here are some great tips for increasing humidity in your bedroom for better sleep.  

1. Humidifier 

A humidifier is the easiest way to combat dry air in your bedroom. A compact bedside humidifier will make you breathe a lot easier, help keep your skin soft and smooth, and improve your sleep quality. 

Look for a humidifier that’s big enough that it can run all night long without you having to refill the tank. Also check that it’s quiet to ensure it doesn't disrupt your sleep. 

Tip: Because of all the moisture, humidifiers can be breeding grounds for mold and other nasty stuff that you could end up breathing in. So remember to clean yours frequently as directed in the user manual. 

2. DIY Humidifier 

You can also make your own DIY humidifier. The most effective one is a bowl of water in front of a fan or AC vent. As the air passes over the water, it causes some of it to evaporate, making the air more humid. If you also want to make your bedroom cooler, add ice cubes to the water.  

Simply leaving bowls of water around your bedroom can also increase humidity. Place the bowls during the day so that by night time, the bedroom has gotten sufficiently humid. 

If you want something prettier than bowls full of water, get a water feature for your bedroom. Look for one that has beautiful lights and makes relaxing sounds. The moving water makes the air more humid, and you get to create a nice ambience for sleep. 

If you are not a fan of water features, an aquarium also works. It can be a fish or plant aquarium.

Tip for winter: Winter is also notorious for dry air. For the colder months, you can make a DIY humidifier by placing water near a heat source such as on top of a heating grate or near a space heater. 

3. Swamp Cooler 

A swamp cooler, also called an evaporative cooler, is perfect for places that get dry heat. That’s where it is most effective. It humidifies and cools your bedroom at the same time. 

A swamp cooler is a more advanced version of placing a bowl of water in front of a fan. It passes air over water soaked pads and produces cooler and humid air. It rapidly cools your bedroom by as much as 40F, while adding lots of moisture to the air. 

And the best part is that it uses a fraction of the power AC does, so it’s a lot cheaper to run. 

4. Indoor Plants 

Indoor plants are another cheap way to increase humidity inside your home. Plants release most of the water they take in via transpiration. Get several for your bedroom and they’ll keep the air nice and humid. 

Some of the best plants for adding humidity to your bedroom include jade, English Ivy, spider plant, rubber plant and peace lily. 

5. Leave the Bathroom Door Open

Normally, we’d recommend using an exhaust fan to get rid of the excess moisture that’s produced during a shower or bath. In this case, you can use all that moisture to make your bedroom more comfortable. 

Simply leave your bathroom door open when taking a shower and let the steam waft into the bedroom.