Cited by 285Sleep and related disordersCircadian rhythm and melatoninSleep and Work-Related Fatigue

The relationship between insomnia and body temperatures

Lack, Leon C., Gradisar, Michael, Van Someren, Eus J.W., Wright, Helen R., Lushington, Kurt·2008·Sleep Medicine Reviews

Abstract

Sleepiness and sleep propensity are strongly influenced by our circadian clock as indicated by many circadian rhythms, most commonly by that of core body temperature. Sleep is most conducive in the temperature minimum phase, but is inhibited in a "wake maintenance zone" before the minimum phase, and is disrupted in a zone following that phase. Different types of insomnia symptoms have been associated with abnormalities of the body temperature rhythm. Sleep onset insomnia is associated with a delayed temperature rhythm presumably, at least partly, because sleep is attempted during a delayed evening wake maintenance zone. Morning bright light has been used to phase advance circadian rhythms and successfully treat sleep onset insomnia. Conversely, early morning awakening insomnia has been associated with a phase advanced temperature rhythm and has been successfully treated with the phase delaying effects of evening bright light. Sleep maintenance insomnia has been associated not with a circadian rhythm timing abnormality, but with nocturnally elevated core body temperature. Combination of sleep onset and maintenance insomnia has been associated with a 24-h elevation of core body temperature supporting the chronic hyper-arousal model of insomnia. The possibility that these last two types of insomnia may be related to impaired thermoregulation, particularly a reduced ability to dissipate body heat from distal skin areas, has not been consistently supported in laboratory studies. Further studies of thermoregulation are needed in the typical home environment in which the insomnia is most evident.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.smrv.2008.02.003

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101 of 101 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Insomnia is associated with impaired thermoregulation.

    “Insomnia is associated with impaired thermoregulation [30,31]”
  • Skin temperature changes with environmental heat and cold, posture, environmental light, anxiety, nutritional status, pain, and stress.

    “Because the skin is rather poikilotherm, its temperature changes with environmental heat and cold. It changes also with posture [61, 78], environmental light [12, 80], anxiety [51], nutritional status [48], pain [36, 42, 54], and stress [72].”

    From Sleep, vigilance, and thermosensitivity (2012) · cites this paper as [51]

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Authors
Lack, L. C., Gradisar, M., Van Someren, E. J. W., Wright, H. R., & Lushington, K.
Affiliations
  • Flinders University (AU)
  • University of South Australia (AU)
Corresponding author
Lack, Leon C.
Venue
Sleep Medicine Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-08
Volume
12
Issue
4
Pages
307-317
ISSN
1087-0792 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2120172472
Cited by
285
References
100
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 9
FWCI
1.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Sleep Medicine Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KNAW Research Portal (The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Flinders Academic Commons (Flinders University) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
Keywords
insomnia, core body temperature, circadian rhythm, sleep onset insomnia, sleep maintenance insomnia, thermoregulation, bright light therapy, circadian phase advance, circadian phase delay, hyperarousal
MeSH terms
Arousal, Body Temperature Regulation, Circadian Rhythm, Homeostasis, Humans, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Melatonin, Phototherapy, Skin Temperature, Sympathetic Nervous System, Wakefulness, Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm

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