# This heater's making me thirsty

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621 "2002-12-30T05:08:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621/1 "2002-12-30T05:08:10Z")

</div>

I live in Miami, so my apartment has no heater (for obvious reasons). Still, I get cold very easily, so I just bought a small heating fan (with all sorts of safety features:) ) My girlfriend and I have noticed that we wake up extremely thirsty if we leave the heater on overnight on these bitterly cold December nights (ok, so it’s 58?, but that’s cold for us!) I’m assuming the heater is removing the moisture from the area, but that’s just a guess. Do I need a dehumidifier? Is this all in our heads?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621/2 "2002-12-30T05:11:18Z")

</div>

If you are warmer you perspire more. Over a night time you’ve probably lost a lot more bodily fluids with the heater on than you would have with the heater off. So you have the desire to replace those fluids (you are thirsty)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621/3 "2002-12-30T05:13:34Z")

</div>

Before going out and buying a humidifier, try putting a flattish container of water in front of the airflow from the heater. Humidifiers have a horrible tendency to create mold unless you have extremely good ventilation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JAPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@JAPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JAPrufrock)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621/4 "2002-12-30T05:20:22Z")

</div>

Wow, Lobsang, you made me feel pretty stupid for not thinkging of that first:) Your response definitely makes sense.

I’ll try the bowl of water, though, Reprise, and see if that works. If not, I think I’ll just try to drink more water before going to sleep…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-heaters-making-me-thirsty/145621/5 "2002-12-30T05:26:07Z")

</div>

FWIW, I find that I notice perspiration a lot more in winter when I’m snuggling under the blankets because the sweat isn’t evaporating to the same extent it does in summer when my skin is exposed to the air.