The Influence of Antarctic Environment on Sleep in Man : Part 1. Environmental Factors and States of Sleep (Biology and Medical Science)

• Main Author: ARAKI, Osamu
• Language: English
• Published: 1980
• Subjects: Antarctic; Syowa Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/673/files/KJ00000011366.pdf

P(論文) Five healthy male subjects, selected from the Japanese wintering group, were studied to obtain the information about not only the long-term changes in sleep patterns but also the relationship between sleep patterns and prominent environmental factors, presumably affecting sleep patterns. Sleep polygraphic recordings were performed together with other measurements such as time activity study of daily life, body weight, flicker test, CMI test etc. The six measurements were carried out at Syowa Station, Antarctica and a comparative measurement was done at Tokyo before departure for Antarctica and after return to Tokyo. No significant difference in total sleep time, sleep onset latency and REM onset latency was found during the periods of experiments. The proportion of SWS tended to decrease gradually in Antarctica, and to recover to the base-line data after the subjects returned to Japan. The changes in SWS showed a positive correlation with those of atmospheric temperature. On the other hand, REM sleep tended to decrease in mid-term and to increase in early- and late-term in Antarctica. The changes in REM sleep showed a positive correlation with those of the energy expenditure calculated from time activity study of daily life. On the contrary, the changes in average REM cycle length, average REM interval length and REM onset latency showed a negative correlation with those of the energy expenditure. These results indicate that the two kinds of sleep, namely, SWS and REM sleep, adapted individually to the two different external factors. departmental bulletin paper