Challenging the sleep homeostat does not influence the thermoregulatory system in men: evidence from a nap vs. sleep-deprivation study
Abstract
The purpose of our study was to understand the relationship between the components of the three-process model of sleepiness regulation (homeostatic, circadian, and sleep inertia) and the thermoregulatory system. This was achieved by comparing the impact of a 40-h sleep deprivation vs. a 40-h multiple nap paradigm (10 cycles with 150/75 min wakefulness/sleep episodes) on distal and proximal skin temperatures, core body temperature (CBT), melatonin secretion, subjective sleepiness, and nocturnal sleep EEG slow-wave activity in eight healthy young men in a “controlled posture” protocol. The main finding of the study was that accumulation of sleep pressure increased subjective sleepiness and slow-wave activity during the succeeding recovery night but did not influence the thermoregulatory system as measured by distal, proximal, and CBT. The circadian rhythm of sleepiness (and proximal temperature) was significantly correlated and phase locked with CBT, whereas distal temperature and melatonin secretion were phase advanced (by 113 ± 28 and 130 ± 30 min, respectively; both P < 0.005). This provides evidence for a primary role of distal vasodilatation in the circadian regulation of CBT and its relationship with sleepiness. Specific thermoregulatory changes occur at lights off and on. After lights off, skin temperatures increased and were most pronounced for distal; after lights on, the converse occurred. The decay in distal temperature (vasoconstriction) was significantly correlated with the disappearance of sleep inertia. These effects showed minor and nonsignificant circadian modulation. In summary, the thermoregulatory system seems to be independent of the sleep homeostat, but the circadian modulation of sleepiness and sleep inertia is clearly associated with thermoregulatory changes.
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Participants collected wrist temperature data under real life conditions so that the rhythms contain both circadian and sleep-wake behavior and environmentally evoked components.
“Importantly, participants collected these data under real life conditions so that the wrist temperature rhythms contain both circadian as well as sleep-wake behavior and environmentally evoked components (i.e., sleep reduces core temp and increases distal skin temperature)19.”
From Diurnal rhythms of wrist temperature are associated with future disease risk in the UK Biobank (2023) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Kräuchi, K., Knoblauch, V., Wirz-Justice, A., & Cajochen, C.
- Affiliations
- Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel (CH)
- ORCID
- Cajochen, Christian
- Venue
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2006-04
- Volume
- 290
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- R1052-R1061
- ISSN
- 0363-6119 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1490
- OpenAlex
- W1978560007
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 5.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- sleep homeostasis, thermoregulation, sleep deprivation, sleepiness, circadian rhythm, sleep inertia, core body temperature, skin temperature, melatonin secretion, slow-wave activity, vasodilation, vasomotor control
- MeSH terms
- Body Temperature, Body Temperature Regulation, Circadian Rhythm, Electroencephalography, Humans, Male, Skin Temperature, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Stages
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