Can indoor plants "kill" you at night?

Debunking a common myth =D

"If plants take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide in the absence of light, will your indoor plants suffocate you at night?"

Many of us may have wondered about this. Some (like myself) have even heard about this before. But does your indoor plant turn into a silent assassin at night? The simple answer is no.

A little background before we start. For anyone that can still remember primary school science, plants go through a magical process called photosynthesis in the day. In this process, plants make use of sunlight (or artificial light), carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen, the life-giver for all living things. On the other hand, plants also go through a process called respiration, where oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is released. This process happens all day, with or without light.

While we might have certain concerns for having indoor plants, like personal sensitivities or allergies to certain plants, plants carrying fungus/bacteria or potential soil borne diseases, the specific concern of plants fighting oxygen with you or causing carbon dioxide poisoning at night is largely unlikely.

The amount of oxygen taken in and carbon dioxide released by plants at night is insignificant. While I cannot find any scientific research paper to prove this point, just imagine yourself going to camp overnight in a jungle. Neither you nor the animals around you would be “killed” by the huge amount of plants and trees fighting oxygen with you.

Unless you are sleeping with hundreds of plants in a room that is poorly ventilated, which I would think that you will still be fine regardless, it is literally impossible to be suffocated due to sleeping with indoor plants.

Of course, to be extra safe, ensure that your room has good ventilation. Otherwise, you can also consider keeping indoor plants that release oxygen at night. You can read more about that by clicking on the hyperlink.

Some of these indoor plants can be found in our store. You can click here to see find out more.