If you wait the appropriate amount of time before sleeping in a freshly painted room, you shouldn’t have any problems. By that point, the high levels of VOCs have dispersed themselves. If you don’t wait the correct amount of time, the first symptoms of VOC exposure will be a headache and nausea. If you experience these symptoms, leave the room immediately. If the symptoms persist or worsen after leaving the room, seek medical attention.  If you experience more extreme symptoms like those listed above, get medical attention because the symptoms may continue to get worse.