Keeping plants in the bedroom

[Tindomul]

Well, first off it is not dangerous to keep plants in the bedroom. Even though they do produce some carbon dioxide during their dark cycle of photosynthesis, they still produce more oxygen, and don't make enough CO2 to kill anyone.

The subject of whether or not someone could asphyxiate by having plants in your bedroom recently came up in mailing list for the international aroid society. Thankfully knowledgeable people quickly disproved it. However it came to our knowledge that in the past this was a serious concern. And the proposed solution to the problem was I think hilarious!
The following was written by another IAS member:


The attached picture shows a person sleeping in a manner recommended by
Bernarr Macfadden in his famous “Encyclopedia of Physical Culture”, Volume 1
(of five), 1924 (Chapter II, ?How to Keep Healthy?). The person’s bed is
situated in a window, opening onto a balcony, with the head immersed in
fresh air and the body sheltered somewhat from the cold and elements by
remaining indoors.

While Macfadden was thinking here of guarding against asphyxiation by one?s
own exhalations, laden as they are with CO2, this set up could just as well
serve the typical Aroid Society member worried about the dangers of sleeping
in the same darkened room as an Anthurium or even (for daring risk-takers) a
large Philodendron.

In his prime, mainly from about 1920 to 1935, Macfadden was widely followed
in the U.S. and elsewhere and became quite wealthy by publishing fare such
as this.