A Greenhouse is a productive place. There is no place like it, and when working in a greenhouse, it may feel beneficial to lay down for a nap somewhere to combat the exhaustion of the day and continue on once refreshed. This may lead you to wonder, is it safe to sleep in a greenhouse?
It is only safe to sleep in a greenhouse if it is very well ventilated with good airflow, temperature-controlled, and free of dangerous greenhouse inhabitants, such as rodents, insects, spiders, reptiles, mold, and fungi. If a greenhouse meets all of these criteria, it is safe to sleep in.
Sleeping in a greenhouse may not be as uncommon as you may think. Those who work in a greenhouse all day with no easy access to a spot in the shade may need a place to rest within a greenhouse, and a greenhouse may make a sustainable place for both human, animals, and plants to coexist in certain situations, but it is safe to sleep in a greenhouse? Let’s find out!
Is It Safe To Sleep In A Greenhouse?
There is an old story that sleeping in a closed room full of living plants is dangerous and may even cause death, due to the fact that during the night, plants use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, filling the room with this dangerous gas, leaving no oxygen for the occupants to breathe safely.
The truth is, this is only a story, but it may apply to sleeping in a greenhouse because of the large number of plants within an enclosed space.
This has lead many to wonder if sleeping in a greenhouse is safe and how it can be made to be entirely safe?
Under normal circumstances, it is usually not safe to sleep in a greenhouse. The internal environment within a greenhouse is not conducive to safe sleeping. Greenhouses are intended to be hot, humid, enclosed environments that encourage plants to grow effectively, which is not the best environment for a person to be sleeping in.
A greenhouse may be specifically made with a sleeping area in mind, or a sleeping area may be specifically prepared within the greenhouse, in which case it can be made safe to sleep in, but in general, it is not a good idea to lay down for sleep in a greenhouse, especially during the day.
While a greenhouse may not be the safest place to sleep, it can be made safe, and there are those who have a need for a place to rest within a greenhouse.
Let us take a closer look at when it is and is not safe to sleep in a greenhouse and how to make a greenhouse safe for sleeping in.
When Is It Safe To Sleep In A Greenhouse?
A greenhouse is a tough environment, but it is nowhere as tough as the environment outside in some places in the world. For this reason, in some places, it may be more beneficial for those in a greenhouse to remain in the greenhouse to rest, rather than leaving the greenhouse to find somewhere else to find a resting area.
In regions that experience extreme heat or extreme cold, the temperate climate within a greenhouse provides a better climate for resting than outside, but when is it safe to do so?
It is safe to sleep in a greenhouse if the greenhouse meets the following criteria:
- The greenhouse must be very well ventilated – without good ventilation, a greenhouse is likely to build up carbon dioxide, which can be very dangerous for a person, especially while sleeping.
- The greenhouse should be temperature regulated – greenhouses are designed to maintain a constant temperature, but it is very easy for a greenhouse to increase in temperature suddenly and quickly. This can be dangerous while sleeping.
- The greenhouse must be free of mold and fungi – breathing in spores from certain molds and fungi can be extremely hazardous to one’s health, and thus a greenhouse should be free of them before anyone sleeps in it.
- The greenhouse should have a separate room for sleeping – without a separate room, closed off from the rest of the greenhouse by a screen or another divider, it is very difficult to maintain safe sleeping conditions within a greenhouse.
- The greenhouse should be free of dangerous animals and insects – a greenhouse is a haven for insects, spiders, rodents, and reptiles that can all be dangerous for a person. Insect stings, spider bites, snake bites, and diseases from rodents are a very real danger in greenhouses.
- The greenhouse should be well sealed – this is to ensure that once the greenhouse is free of dangerous insects and animals, there is no place for them to re-enter the greenhouse, making it unsafe for sleeping.
When Is It Not Safe To Sleep In A Greenhouse
A greenhouse is not the best place for sleeping in, but there are a few aspects of most greenhouse that make them particularly unsafe for sleeping.
A greenhouse is unsafe to sleep in if any of the following are present:
- If the greenhouse has a clear roof – a clear roof will produce intense high temperatures during the day and allow temperatures to plummet at night, making it unsafe for sleeping in.
- The greenhouse has an infestation – this could be of mold, insects, spiders, rodents, reptiles, or fungi that could be harmful to a person.
- If there is no easy exit from the greenhouse – becoming trapped in the greenhouse is a problem, particularly in the case of an emergency. The greenhouse should always have an easy way of getting out.
How To Make A Greenhouse Safe For Sleeping
To make a greenhouse safe for sleeping, it is important to consider all of the conditions within the greenhouse.
To sleep in a greenhouse safely, separate an area within the greenhouse, or add an area onto the greenhouse that will be used for sleeping.
This area should be clean, temperature-controlled, and with an opaque roof. It should be free of critters and separated from the rest of the greenhouse with a divider.
The entire greenhouse should be well ventilated and free of air-bound spores and contaminants from mold and fungi while being enclosed well to prevent the intrusion of insects and small animals.
If these criteria are met, a greenhouse can be slept in safely without cause for concern.
Conclusion
It is only safe to sleep within a greenhouse if it free from hazards, has an easily accessible exit, is temperature-controlled, and is exceptionally well ventilated.
A greenhouse that is full of thriving plants will produce a lot of carbon dioxide at night, which is the main reason for good airflow and ventilation, and the temperature should be controlled to prevent any occupants from overheating or becoming too cold while sleeping.
The reason why it’s so important to ensure that the greenhouse meets all of these criteria before being used for sleeping in is that greenhouses are not designed to safe places for sleeping.
These structures are hot, humid, potentially dangerous, and are not ideal for sleeping.