Verification of the effect of sleeping environment and humidification on middle-aged people in whole-house air-conditioning ventilation system housing

¹ Shibaura Institute of Technology, SIT Research Laboratories, 3-7-5 Toyosu, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8548, Japan
² Shibaura Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 3-7-5 Toyosu, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8548, Japan
³ Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Living Environment Systems Laboratory, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8501, Japan

^* Corresponding author: na14904@shibaura-it.ac.jp

Abstract

This study focused on the thermal comfort of air circulation-type whole-house air-conditioning ventilation systems. We studied the influence of 24-h continuous whole-house air-conditioning on the living environment in which the occupant is sleeping. A survey was conducted in the summer of 2016 and winter of 2017 to ascertain the influence on the sleeping environment, skin moisture content, and blood pressure. We then compared the results with those of the sleeping environment of residents in air-conditioned housing surveyed the previous year. The sleeping environment when using a personal humidifier around the occupant’s head was examined during winter when the humidity is low. The results indicated that sleep latency was significantly shortened in the 24-h continuous whole-house air-conditioning ventilation system in both summer and winter because the temperature control of the bedroom before going to bed affects the sleep latency. Subjectively, no participants felt dryer than the values measured in the bedroom environment. The results implied that the comfort of the entire building was improved with continuous air-conditioned housing.