I wonder if some people (or even a majority of people) just find warm, stale air comforting?

When I visit home I'm stunned by just how warm and stuffy my family home is. They keep the place air-tight, with heating on high all the time, in a not-particularly-cold part of Ireland. The people living in that house think this is wonderful, using the words "toasty" and "cozy" to describe it. I'd be more inclined to describe the air quality as "hellish" and "oppressive".

Maybe for some there is a strong emotional link between warm, stale air and a sense of homeliness?