Where would we be without our fans right now? The forecast teases us with downpours that never come. And in the meantime, we’re subject to this relentless heat.
So, naturally, our fans are working overtime, constantly oscillating from side to side, to give us the smallest amount of relief while we try to go about our daily routines. The greatest difficulty? Trying to sleep. Sleeping while you’re hot, sweaty and sticky is near impossible, especially when you know you have to get up early the next day.
So what do we do? We switch on the fan and hope the gentle breeze will help lull us to sleep. But, before you set and forget your fan, you should know that its direction can make all the difference to your health when you wake up.
Why shouldn’t the fan be directed at my face at night?
Leaving your fan directed at you while you sleep is bad because it contributes to dehydration. I asked Reshma Akhter, junior commercial testing Manager at the GHI – and an avid fan tester – to elaborate:
‘Sleeping with a fan is great for those awfully sweaty nights, but be careful to not have it aimed at your face for too long. The cold air will eventually dry out your throat, and you’ll wake up with it feeling sore and as though you have a cold. Keep a timer on or oscillate your fan so it doesn’t dry out your throat, or eyes when you wake up.’
So, if you’ve woken up with stingy, or even crusty, eyes, a sore throat and a throbbing headache, your fan could be to blame. If you’re feeling congested and fluey, it’s likely your body trying to compensate for the dryness. A fan can’t give you a viral cold, but it can replicate the symptoms due to the constant breeze through your nose, mouth and eyes.
If you suffer from allergies, your fan could be intensifying the problem by blowing pollen directly at you after it comes through the window. On top of that, focusing the breeze on one part of your body can cause your muscles to tense and stiffen, leading to severe aches and pains by the morning. So where should you aim your fan instead?
Where should the fan be pointed?
As Good Housekeeping’s household advice editor, I recommend directing the fan out of the window. While it might sound like a waste, it has a purpose! When you do this, it pushes the hot air out of the room – along with air from throughout your home if you leave the doors open – so the fresh air from any other open windows will be drawn in.
It can essentially help to circulate cooler air around the room, bringing down the temperature, rather than just reusing the same warm air. Having two windows open on opposite ends of a room can create a similar effect via a cross breeze, but the fan accentuates it.
You should only do this when it’s cooler outside than in (which is usually the case at night). The fan needs to be a short distance from the window, otherwise you won’t blow out any hot air! Aim for a couple of feet away.
Is it safe to leave a fan running through the night?
Given the extreme heat, there are legitimate worries that a fan could catch fire while you sleep. Electrical Safety First does not recommend using an electric fan overnight for this reason. It also says to avoid buying second-hand fans or using those that are over a few years old, due to the chance that the motor could overheat.
Having said that, many modern fans come with dedicated nighttime settings that reduce their power for quiet running. In fact, the Levoit Windi Mini Pro Tower Fan – the winning fan in the GHI’s best fan test – comes with its own night mode and scored a whopping 94/100.
These settings are designed to be used through the night and should be safe to do so when used correctly. However, if you’re concerned, you can always opt for a fan with a timer, as Reshma says, and program it when to start and stop.
GHI's best fans 2026
Score: 91/100
Score: 89/100
