SKIN TEMPERATURE-CHANGES IN PARADOXICAL SLEEP IN MAN IN THE COLD

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (6) , 567-570
Abstract
Mean skin temperature (.hivin.Tsk) calculated from 7 sites and rectal temperature (Tre) were recorded every minute for a total of 88 man-nights in 8 young men sleeping at night in both cold (during the Artic winter) and neutral (laboratory) environments, and were related to the EEG stages of sleep, especially to paradoxical sleep (PS). In the neutral environment, Tre was always above 36.degree. C and .hivin.Tsk increased during PS. In the cold conditions, during PS, .hivin.Tsk increased when Tre was high and decreased when Tre was below 36.degree. C. Although it is not known why a core temperature of about 36.degree. C is the critical point of change in the direction of .hivin.Tsk variations during PS, the direction in which .hivin.Tsk varies during PS is dependent on the core temperature at the time.