Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Psychiatric University Clinics, Basel, Switzerland.
Sleep Med. 2021 May;81:109-115. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.01.064. Epub 2021 Feb 2.
A decline in sleep quality, slow wave sleep (SWS) and slow wave activity (SWA) are common in older adults. Prior studies have shown that manipulating body temperature during sleep can increase SWS/SWA. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of manipulation of body temperatures during sleep, using a high heat capacity mattress, on SWS/SWA and heart rate in post-menopausal women.
Twenty-four healthy postmenopausal women between 40 and 75 years of age (mean age 62.4 ± 8.2 years, mean BMI 25.4 ± 3.5 kg/m) were randomized in a single-blind, counterbalanced, cross-over manner to sleep on either a high heat capacity mattress (HHCM) or a low heat capacity mattress (LHCM) a week apart. Sleep was recorded using polysomnography during an 8-h sleep opportunity. Core and peripheral temperature were recorded using an ingestible capsule and thermochron respectively.
In comparison to the LHCM, sleep on HHCM exhibited a selective increase in SWS (average increase in Stage N3 of 9.6 min (2.1%), p = 0.04) and in slow oscillatory (SO) activity (0.5-1 Hz) in the first NREM/REM cycle (p = 0.04). In addition, the HHCM induced a greater reduction in core body temperature (p = 0.002). The reduction in core body temperature (first 180 min after lights out) from LHCM to HHCM was associated (r = 0.5, p = 0.012) with the increase in SO activity (SO cycle 1 and 2/cycle 3 and 4). Average heart rate was 1.6 beats/minute lower across the night on the HHCM compared to the LHCM (p = 0.001).
The results of this study indicate that manipulation of body temperature during sleep may be a useful approach to enhance SWS sleep in postmenopausal women.
睡眠质量下降、慢波睡眠（SWS）和慢波活动（SWA）在老年人中很常见。先前的研究表明，在睡眠期间调节体温可以增加 SWS/SWA。本研究旨在确定使用高热容量床垫在睡眠期间调节体温对绝经后妇女 SWS/SWA 和心率的影响。
24 名年龄在 40 至 75 岁之间（平均年龄 62.4 ± 8.2 岁，平均 BMI 25.4 ± 3.5 kg/m）的健康绝经后女性以单盲、交叉平衡的方式随机分为两组，一组睡在高热容量床垫（HHCM）上，另一组睡在低热容量床垫（LHCM）上，间隔一周。在 8 小时的睡眠机会中使用多导睡眠图记录睡眠。使用可摄入胶囊和 thermochron 分别记录核心和外周温度。
与 LHCM 相比，HHCM 睡眠表现出选择性增加 SWS（第一 NREM/REM 周期中 N3 期平均增加 9.6 分钟（2.1%），p=0.04）和慢振荡（SO）活动（0.5-1 Hz）（p=0.04）。此外，HHCM 还导致核心体温更大幅度下降（p=0.002）。从 LHCM 到 HHCM 的核心体温下降（熄灯后 180 分钟内）与 SO 活动的增加呈正相关（r=0.5，p=0.012）（SO 周期 1 和 2/周期 3 和 4）。与 LHCM 相比，HHCM 整个晚上的平均心率低 1.6 次/分钟（p=0.001）。
本研究结果表明，在睡眠期间调节体温可能是一种增强绝经后妇女 SWS 睡眠的有效方法。
