Random question about temperature and sleeping

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Random question about temperature and sleeping

Monday, August 24th, 2009 | Home Life, Science |

I’m trying to figure out why I run warm when I sleep at night, but cold when I nap during the day. What’s up with that?

I took a nap Sunday afternoon. I did what I usually do when I nap, which is to put on some socks and a long-sleeved t-shirt to stay warm. Sometimes I’ll wear pajama pants if I’m really cold

Here’s the weird thing. When I go to sleep at night I’m never cold. Just the opposite - I have to make sure it’s cool enough for me to sleep. I program the thermostat to drop the temperature a few degrees before bed time. If I’m still too warm I’ll turn on the bedroom ceiling fan.

I recall from freshman psychology that there’s a relationship between sleep and temperature. Your temperature drops a little at night and rises when it’s time to wake up. The professor told a story of a guy who couldn’t wake up in the morning no matter how loud he set his alarm. It turned out his temperature was unusually low in the morning, so he set an electric blanket on a timer to warm himself up before the alarm sounded.

I’m sure that some of the times when I’m taking naps I don’t feel well. That would explain being cold on those occasions, but not others.

Any ideas on why my sleep thermostat is reversed during the day?

3 Comments to Random question about temperature and sleeping

cybrus
August 24, 2009

Maybe your body slows down at night so your metabolism generates enough heat for your body, but during the day your body is still running at normal speed and your metabolism can’t keep up?

placebo
August 24, 2009

Are all other factors equal? For example, Do you have a blanket over you in both cases? Are you sleeping alone (or with your wife) in both cases? Are you in bed in both cases? etc.

Les Jones
August 24, 2009

placebo: all other factors the same. Same bed, same covers. Happens at night whether I go to bed with my wife or before her.

cybrus: one thing I just thought of is that I can’t go to bed hungry. If I do I have trouble going to sleep. I can often tell I need to eat because I’m too warm. After I eat I cool down, possibly because of blood moving to my digestive system?

Thinking about that a little more, I’ll bet most of my naps happen after lunch.