How One Plant Changed Our Son’s Sleep: A Personal Story of Asthma and the Power of Sansevieria
May 25, 2025 by admin
When your child struggles to breathe, every night becomes a silent battle. You try everything—air purifiers, prescriptions, allergy-proofing, even the strict no-pets policy you swore you’d never enforce. And still, the anxiety lingers. You listen to the monitor like it’s a lifeline, flinching at every cough, every wheeze.
We were deep in that cycle with our son’s asthma. And nothing we did felt like enough—until one unexpected evening when my mom walked in carrying a tall, strange-looking plant that would change everything.
The Night Our World Quietly Changed
She didn’t knock. She didn’t call ahead. Just walked through the door holding what looked like a tall, upright, sword-leaved plant in a painted pot.
“Put this in his room,” she said.
This is the same woman who runs a craft shop on the Tedooo app, who sells hand-painted plant pots, makes macramé hangers, and shares her creations in online gardening groups filled with talk of moon cycles and soil microbes. We’d always supported her, half-listening when she told us about her latest project. But we never really paid attention.
Until she showed us the Sansevieria.
What Is Sansevieria (a.k.a. Snake Plant)?
Also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue or Snake Plant, Sansevieria trifasciata is a popular houseplant known for its resilience and air-purifying abilities. It’s one of the few plants that converts CO₂ into oxygen at night, making it ideal for bedrooms and nighttime breathing support.
It doesn’t need much light. It rarely needs water. And somehow, it brings a sense of calm into a room.
From Skepticism to Sleep
At first, we were skeptical. It was a plant, not a prescription. But something in the way my mom looked at us—firm, certain, grounded—made us listen for once.
She explained how one of the moms in her Tedooo gardening group had shared a story about how her own child’s asthma symptoms had improved with a Sansevieria in the room. The post had dozens of comments, echoing similar stories—kids breathing easier, sleeping better, coughing less.
So, we tried it. We placed the Sansevieria right next to his bed, watered it once, and waited.
That night, for the first time in weeks, our son slept through the night.
No labored breathing.
No gasps for his inhaler.
Just deep, uninterrupted sleep.
And then it happened again. And again.
A Plant with Real Science Behind It
While it felt like a miracle, the truth is there’s real science to back it up.
NASA’s Clean Air Study listed Sansevieria among the top plants for removing airborne toxins, such as:
- Benzene
- Formaldehyde
- Xylene
- Toluene
It’s also one of the few plants that performs photosynthesis at night, a process known as CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism). This allows it to release oxygen while you sleep, unlike most plants that do the opposite.
For someone with asthma, allergies, or sleep apnea, these subtle shifts in air quality can mean the difference between a restful night and a restless one.
We Bought One for Every Bedroom
It wasn’t long before we added one to our bedroom, and another to the guest room. Each one sitting proudly in a hand-painted pot my mom made—a perfect blend of beauty and function. Our home began to feel fresher, lighter, and more peaceful.
And perhaps most important of all, it deepened our respect for the world my mom lives in. Her crafts, her community on Tedooo, her deep understanding of plants and their purpose—it’s not just a hobby. It’s a network of knowledge that’s changing lives, one plant at a time.
The Power of Community Knowledge
This experience opened our eyes to the wisdom hidden in everyday communities—like the one on Tedooo, where my mom and other gardeners trade tips, remedies, and stories. It’s a reminder that solutions don’t always come from labs or prescriptions. Sometimes they come from shared stories, generational wisdom, and someone walking into your home carrying a plant and saying, “Try this.”
We used to dismiss it all as just hobbies and hashtags. Now we see it differently.
If You’re Struggling With Nighttime Breathing or Asthma, Try This
You have nothing to lose. A Sansevieria plant is:
- Affordable
- Low maintenance
- Stylish and natural
- Scientifically backed for indoor air improvement
Place one beside your bed, or your child’s. Make sure it’s potted in well-draining soil, watered every few weeks, and given indirect sunlight. That’s it.
And then see what happens.
A Newfound Gratitude
Now, every time I see that tall, spiky plant in the corner of my son’s room, I don’t just think of better sleep. I think of my mom walking in like a guardian with green thumbs. I think of the Tedooo community, filled with people who take their plants seriously. And I think of how we almost missed it—how close we came to overlooking the simplest, most natural solution.
But we didn’t. And now, our son breathes easier, and we all sleep better.