Is it true that you shouldn’t keep plants in the bedroom?

Some people worry that plants in the bedroom will cause carbon dioxide (CO₂) poisoning, but this is an urban myth. It’s true that when you turn off the light, the plant no longer has a source of energy, and so photosynthesis stops. This means that it no longer takes in CO₂.

Meanwhile, in the dark, the plant continues to respire – a process which releases CO₂ (the exact quantity of which depends on the size of your plant and its species). However, any plant small enough to fit in your bedroom produces far less carbon dioxide than a sleeping human, and is perfectly safe to share a room with.

Read more:

• Do plants die of old age?
• Are some plants better than others at sucking up carbon dioxide?
• Could an intelligent species evolve on Earth that breathes carbon dioxide?
• How many plants would I need in an airtight room to be able to breathe?