Don't Sleep On The Little-Known Benefits Of Keeping A Snake Plant Next To Your Bed

The hardy snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) is a go-to for those who prefer low-maintenance indoor plants that bring dramatic impact without all the fuss. With its tall, sword-like leaves and variegated green and yellow coloring, this sturdy houseplant can thrive in a pot for years with only the simplest of care. But it offers another benefit you may not know about. Placing a snake plant in your bedroom can bring you healthier sleep.

Besides the visual benefits of adding greenery to your home, it's well-established that having plants around your house can bring multiple health benefits. Widely reported virtues of indoor plants include lowered stress levels, better cognitive health, and improved indoor air quality. The snake plant, also knowns as mother-in-law's tongue, does a particularly good job of bringing those health benefits while you sleep. It can boost oxygen and absorb pollutants from your air as you dream the night away. And according to Feng Shui, the snake plant can bring you prosperity and good energy in addition to healthy air.

What makes the snake plant good for the bedroom is that it gets to work when you hit the sack. It opens its pores at night to release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. If you generally sleep in a closed-up bedroom, the carbon dioxide you exhale can build in your room as you sleep, and too much CO2 can make you drowsy and cause headaches. Fortunately, these plants may be able to decrease the room's buildup of carbon dioxide as you sleep. Snake plants also release moisture into the air at night, which benefits anyone dealing with nighttime allergies. At the same time, the snake plant can absorb some of the other bad stuff in your bedroom air, including common household air pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene.

But don't expect miracles. The benefits of snake plants and other indoor plants, often cited from a 1989 NASA study, tend to be exaggerated on social media. Still, having a snake plant in your sleeping space can give the air you breathe a nice boost, so it might be worth adding a few of these striking plants to your bedside, especially since caring for snake plants is a breeze. Use caution if you cuddle up with your pets, however, as snake plants are toxic to cats and dogs.