Summary
In experiments on rats we studied the influence of temperature (21, 27 and 33° C) and air humidity (50, 70 and 90 %) on the duration of sleep and insomnia.
The sleep of an animal, exposed to variously warm and humid air for 24 hours, is shortened the more, the higher the humidity and temperature of air. After insomnia lasting 24 hours and preceeded by an exposure to variously warm and humid air for one hour, sleep debt is increased at the rate at which air humidity and temperature of the exposure is raised. Similar changes of the animal's sleep depth occur also in such cases where the exposure of the animal is carried out during insomnia.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AMELUNG, W., BECKER, F., BENDER, J. and PFEIFFER, C.A.: Störungen des vegetativen Nervensystems und Wettergeschehen (Neue Arbeitsmethoden meteoropathologischer Forschung) — Arch. physik. Therapie, 2, 181, 1950.
ASCHOFF, J.: Zeitgeber der tierischen Tagesperiodik — Naturwiss., 41, 49, 1954.
ASHBY, W.R.: An Introduction to Cybernetics — London, 1957.
BECKER, F., CATEL, W., KLEMM, E., STRAUBE, G. and KALKBRENNER, A.: Experimentelle Beiträge über die Beziehungen zwischen neuzeitlicher Bioklimatik und Medizin — Aerztl. Forsch., 3, 436, 1949.
BERG, H.: Exogener oder endogener 24-Stunden Rhythmus? — Grenzgeb. Med., 2, 386, 1949.
BRADY, J.V.: The Effect of Electro-Convulsive Shock on a Conditioned Emotional Response: The Permanence of the Effect — J. comp. physiol. Psychol., 44, 507, 1951.
de RUDDER, B.: Grundriss einer Meteorobiologie des Menschen — Berlin, Göttingen, Heidelberg, 1952.
DIRNAGL, K.: Die Wetterempfindlichkeit als Zivilisationsschaden ? In Zivilisationsschäden und deren Physiko-balneo-klimato-therapie — Leipzig, 1957.
DRISCHEL, H.: Die vegetative Regulation als theoretisches Problem einer selbstständigen Regelung — Acta neuroveg., 6, 317, 1953.
KLEITMAN, N.: Sleep and Wakefulness — Chicago, 1939.
LANDSBERG, H.E.: Trends in Climatology — Science, 128, 749, 1958.
MAGOUN, H.W.: Ascending Reticular Activating System in the Brain Stem —Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chicago), 67, 145, 1952.
MENZEL, W.: Endogene Aenderungen des Tagersrhytmik bei Gesunden und Kranken — Med.- meterol., 5, 28, 1951.
SELYE, H.: Physiology and Pathology of Exposure to Stress. A Treatise Based on the Concepts of the General- Adaptation-Syndrome and the Diseases of Adaptation — Montreal, 1950.
STEIN, L.: Reserpine and the Learning of Fear — Science, 124, 1082, 1956.
SVORAD, D.: Reticular Activating System of Brain Stem and “Animal Hyponosis” — Science, 125, 156, 1957.
SVORAD, D. and KOHOUT, L.: Method of Evoking Sleeplesness by Conditioned Emotional Reaction — Physiol. bohemoslov., in print.
WAGNER, R.: Probleme und Beispiele biologischer Regelung — Stuttgart, 1954.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Svorad, D., Wellnerová, J. Temperature and air humidity as factors influencing sleep and wakefulness. I.J.B.B. 3, 201–204 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02268741
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02268741