Abstract
PurposeThe tight association between sleep, body temperature regulation, and patterns of skin temperature change highlights the necessity for accurate and valid assessment of skin temperatures during sleep. With increased interest in this functional relationship in infants and children, it is important to identify where to best measure proximal skin temperature and whether it is possible to reduce the number of sites of measures, in order to limit the experimental effects in natural settings. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the most suitable single skin temperature sites for representation of average proximal skin temperature during sleep of school aged children.MethodsStatistical analyses were applied to skin temperature data of 22 children, aged 6 to 12 years, measured over four consecutive school nights in their home settings, to compare single site measures of abdomen, back, neck, forehead and subclavicular skin temperatures (local temperatures) with average proximal skin temperatures.ResultsAbdomen and forehead skin temperatures were significantly different (respectively higher and lower) to the other local proximal temperatures and to average proximal skin temperatures. Moreover, the time pattern of forehead temperature was very different from that of the other local temperatures.ConclusionsLocal forehead and abdomen skin temperatures are least suitable as single site representations of average proximal skin temperatures in school aged children when considering both the level and the time course pattern of the temperature across the night. Conversely, back and neck temperatures provide most fitting representation of average proximal skin temperatures.
Highlights
A close interaction between sleep and body temperature (T) has been shown to exist in animals and human neonates, children and adults
abdominal temperature (Tabdo) was initially significantly lower (0.53°C in average) than all the other Ts and thereafter was significantly higher than these Ts
There is an important relationship between sleep and body T, and both are affected by variation in individuals’ activities and environments
Summary
A close interaction between sleep and body temperature (T) has been shown to exist in animals and human neonates, children and adults. Two important consequences of this functional interaction are that sleep is regulated in phase with circadian body T regulation and that sleep disturbances are observed in association with thermoregulatory changes. Both sleep and thermoregulation are thought to be regulated by the preoptic area of the brain and anterior hypothalamus which further supports the functional interaction between these physiological processes [for a review, see [1]]. The association between sleep and T regulation highlights the necessity for accurate and valid assessment of body Ts within sleep research. Blood flow is regulated differentially in each body region so that the skin T can differ drastically across regions. Areas with large arteries close to the skin surface (i.e. cheeks and the inguinal region) can be relatively hot (≥36.5°C), while limb skin T (i.e. ~33.5°C to 36.5°C at rest) and body extremities (
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