Fire safety experts recommend sleeping with bedroom doors closed

Fire safety experts recommend sleeping with bedroom doors closed to mitigate the dangers of house fires. While a standard interior door is not a fireproof shelter, it acts as a critical barrier that can significantly slow the entry of smoke, heat, and toxic gases, providing occupants with more time to react.

Tests conducted by the Fire Safety Research Institute demonstrated the dramatic impact of a closed door. In one experiment, ten minutes after a fire started, a bedroom with an open door reached temperatures of approximately 260°C (500°F) and carbon monoxide levels of 6,000 ppm. In contrast, the bedroom with a closed door maintained a temperature of approximately 38°C (100°F) and carbon monoxide levels of only 600 ppm.