Whether or not your home has air conditioning, you may be interested in learning more about the advantages of having a ceiling fan in your bedroom. These fixtures are relatively inexpensive to purchase and easy to install, whether you do it yourself or pay a handyman to do it for you. If you want to jazz up your bedroom, here are some things to consider regarding ceiling fans.

1. Ceiling fans add an attractive, decorative touch. They come in a variety of shapes to fit the size of your bedroom. You also can choose from a variety of blade designs and light fixtures to blend with the theme of the room or your entire home. Pull-chains are common, but many can be wired to flip on or off with a switch near the one for your overhead or wall light. Color schemes are varied. You can get a wood finish, or a painted veneer, some with designs. Your bedroom's ceiling fan should be a subtle accent, but not a distraction.

2. Ceiling fans help to cool the room. If you don't have a window air conditioner or whole-house cooling, you will love the gentle stir of indoor air that makes any room less stuffy. This effect can be enhanced when you open a window to mix outdoor with indoor air. Opening two windows can create a cross breeze that the fan can help to propel for a more expansive cooling effect. Fans that come with more than one speed can be adjusted to create a low, medium, or high circulating effect, depending on your preference for that bedroom. For example, a baby's room may not require as much ventilation as an adult's room.

3. Ceiling fans can help to muffle noise. Although most are not loud or intrusive, the soft background whirring made by the swish of the blades may cover the sounds coming from other areas of the home, such as television sets downstairs, kitchen blenders or dishwashers, or even a new pet's howling when locked in its crate for the night. People who work nights and sleep days may especially appreciate this feature, along with those who are light sleepers or napping children.

Some homeowners install two smaller ceiling fans for a larger room, like a basement-size recreation area, for example. This helps to keep air moving in all parts of the room. Cleaning the fans is easy. Turn them off and gently wipe the blades and light fixture with a clean cloth (using a stepladder) or a feather duster. If the light bulb burns out, make sure the fan and light are turned off, and carefully replace the bad bulb with a new one.

A ceiling fan in your bedroom may help you enjoy more restful sleep, since research shows most people sleep better and stay healthier when the bedroom temperature is less than 70 degrees. Just don't overdo it, especially for someone who is elderly or sick. Adjust the fan's movement to suit all users of a particular room.