Microglia mediate the increase in slow-wave sleep associated with high ambient temperature

An increase in ambient temperature leads to an increase in sleep. However, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of microglia in the increase of sleep caused by high ambient temperature. We confirmed that at 35 °C, slow-wave sleep was significantly increased relative to those observed at 25 °C. Notably, this effect was abolished upon treatment with PLX3397, a CSF1R inhibitor that can deplete microglia, while sleep amount at 25°C was unaffected. These observations suggest that microglia play a pivotal role in modulating the homeostatic regulation of sleep in response to the fluctuations in ambient temperature.