Will sleeping in a car without opening the windows in winter cause oxygen deprivation?
2 Answers
Yes, it can cause oxygen deprivation. Due to the difficulty of air convection between the inside and outside of the car, carbon monoxide emitted by prolonged engine operation will gradually accumulate inside the vehicle. Additionally, the oxygen in the car will be consumed by the occupants' breathing while carbon dioxide is exhaled. Over time, the oxygen level inside the car will decrease, and the occupants may unknowingly suffer from poisoning and lose consciousness, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. Below are precautions for sleeping in a car: Maintain air convection: Ensure air convection between the inside and outside of the car to allow fresh air to enter for breathing. Besides turning on the external circulation mode, you can also slightly open the car windows. This will not significantly affect the air conditioning effect inside the car while maintaining air exchange between the inside and outside. Lock the doors: When sleeping in the car, make sure to lock the doors securely and store valuable items properly in hidden places to prevent theft.
Sleeping in a car in winter without opening the windows is really dangerous. I experienced this during a road trip. To keep warm, I closed all the windows, but I woke up in the middle of the night feeling dizzy and struggling to breathe. The small space inside the car accumulates carbon dioxide from the breath of several people, gradually reducing the oxygen level. It might be fine once or twice, but over time or with more people, it will definitely lead to oxygen deprivation. Since then, whenever I sleep in the car, I always leave a small gap, even just one centimeter wide, to allow air circulation and solve this problem. Don’t worry about it being too cold in winter—you can use a sleeping bag to stay warm or turn on the air conditioning in external circulation mode. The key is to prioritize safety and not let habits put you at risk.
