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Influence on human sleep patterns of lowering and delaying the minimum core body temperature by slow changes in the
Fumiharu Togo1, Seika Aizawa, Jun-ichiro Arai
1Exercise Sciences Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.
Study Objectives:
We hypothesized that appropriate changes in thermal environment would enhance the quality of sleep.
Design/Setting:
Controlled laboratory study.
Participants:
Healthy young men (n = 7, mean age 26 years).
Interventions:
Nocturnal sleep structures in semi-nude subjects were compared between a condition where an ambient temperature (Ta) of 29.5 degree C was maintained throughout the night (constant Ta), and a second condition (dynamic Ta) where Ta changed slowly within the thermoneutral range (from 27.5 C to 29.5 degree C).
Measurements And Results:
Statistically significant (P < 0.05) results included a lower and a later occurrence of minimum core body temperature (Tc), and a longer duration of slow-wave (stages 3+4) sleep in dynamic versus constant T. However, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, the total durations of light (stages 1+2) and rapid eye movement sleep, and the latencies to sleep onset, slow-wave sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep did not differ between conditions.
Conclusions:
Lowering the minimum and delaying the nadir of nocturnal Tc increases slow-wave sleep (probably by an increase of dry heat loss); use of this tactic might improve the overall quality of sleep.
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