Abstract
(1) Background: Healthy teenagers are often sleepy. This can be explained by their physiology and behavioral changes; however, the influence of CO2 concentration above 1000 ppm should not be neglected with respect to sleep dissatisfaction. (2) Methods: CO2 concentrations were measured in two similar bedrooms occupied by girls aged 9 and 13 years old. The scheme of measurements included random opening and closing of the bedroom doors for the night. Additionally, the girls evaluated their sleep satisfaction in a post-sleep questionnaire. (3) Results: During the night, the CO2 concentration varied from 402 to 3320 ppm in the teenager’s bedroom and from 458 to 2176 ppm in the child’s bedroom. When the bedroom doors were open, inadequate indoor air quality (IEQIII and IEQIV categories) was observed in both the teenager’s and child’s bedroom during 11% and 25% of the night, respectively; however, closing the doors increased the contribution of moderate (IEQIII) and low (IEQIV) categories of air to 79% and 86%, respectively. The girls were dissatisfied only when the bedroom door was closed. The satisfied category of sleep was selected only by the younger girl. (4) Conclusions: Opening the bedroom door during the night can decrease the CO2 concentration 55–64% without reducing thermal comfort.
Highlights
There is a generally accepted opinion in society that teenagers are sleepy
When the bedroom doors were open, inadequate indoor air quality (IEQIII and IEQIV categories) was observed in both the teenager’s and child’s bedroom during 11% and 25% of the night, respectively; closing the doors increased the contribution of moderate (IEQIII ) and low (IEQIV ) categories of air to 79% and 86%, respectively
Among the techniques adopted to evaluate ventilation rates, the one based on the measurement and analysis of the indoor CO2 concentration and trends is the most common approach; it could be improved by the integration of an electronic nose for odor detection [35]
Summary
There is a generally accepted opinion in society that teenagers are sleepy. This notion indicates that sleepiness is a negative issue; this particular group of young people has several reasons for being tired. Teenagers undergo the processes of puberty and rapid increases in height [1], and, from a psychological aspect, they have problems with low self-esteem, seeking their role in society, and getting involved in personal conflicts at school or within the family [1,2]. The duration of sleep varies among individuals, with an average teenager attending school requiring at least 8 h of sleep per night; the maturational changes combined with a cell phone or computer use within the hour prior to trying to fall asleep lead to shorter sleeping hours or sleep deprivation [3]. Sleep problems threaten health and quality of life for up to 45% of the world’s population, and 35% of individuals feel that they do not get enough sleep, which has negative effects on both physical and mental health [4]
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