Sleeping in a closed room with a running fan can cause fatal asphyxiation

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

0 sources for · 3 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

The claim that sleeping in a closed room with a running fan can cause fatal asphyxiation is an urban legend with no scientific basis.

How claims like this are judged

Judged against fact-checker rulings and reference works: claims of this kind are settled by the fact-checking record, not journal abstracts.

Evidence against · 3

en.wikipedia.org: Fan death

Recorded source metadata

en.wikipedia.org: Fan death. en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death

Fan death is described as a misconception; running an electric fan in a closed room does not cause death.

Source citation format

See more details

More against · 2

reuters.com: Electric fans and South Koreans: a deadly mix? | Reuters

Recorded source metadata

reuters.com: Electric fans and South Koreans: a deadly mix? | Reuters. reuters.com. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/electric-fans-and-south-koreans-a-deadly-mix-idUSSEO210261/

Fact-checker ruling: reviewed

Source citation format

snopes.com: Is it 'extremely dangerous' to sleep with a fan on? Claim exaggerates risk

Recorded source metadata

snopes.com: Is it 'extremely dangerous' to sleep with a fan on? Claim exaggerates risk. snopes.com. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sleeping-fan-extremely-dangerous/

Fact-checker ruling: reviewed

Source citation format

The paper trail · every fact has a biography

first checked31 Jul 2026

judged → REFUTED · 031 Jul 2026

More receipts

Is it true that Phonological evolution involves regular processes of phoneme elision, vowel nasalization, and tonogenesis?Is it true that Hemangiomas are treatable with medication?Is it true that Research identifies forms of intelligence that diverge from standard IQ measures?

Random receipt →The Trust Wiki →

Anyone with this link can read the claim and its public receipt, including any personal information in that text. Open permanent receipt.

Check your own claim

Challenge the receipt

I have a source that contradicts this verdict I have a source that supports it No source: request a receipt review Requests are recorded for review. This does not start an automatic check or guarantee a response time.

trust me, bro: win the argument, pass the class, survive peer review.

Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.

This receipt is an automated verdict against our published method · not an opinion about any author or publication.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work · Dispute this receipt