Using a humidifier can improve sleep because humidifiers can provide a few different direct benefits:
1. Maintaining optimal humidity can improve overall comfort while sleeping. This humidity can help soothe itchy and irritated throats.
2. A humidifier can create a "white noise" effect when it's running overnight. The gentle hum of a fan or humidifier has been shown to help people calm down, slow their breathing, and eventually fall asleep.
3. Turning on a humidifier before bed can also help with snoring because it provides more moisture to the mouth, nasal cavity, palate, and airways. When these areas become dry, snoring tends to increase—and the vibrations of these dry tissues caused by each breath can even make the snoring sound worse.