Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermal Comfort in Sleeping Environments

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Personal Comfort Systems for Improving Indoor Thermal Comfort and Air Quality

Part of the book series: Indoor Environment and Sustainable Building ((IESB))

  • 364 Accesses

Abstract

Sleep thermal environments could affect human thermal regulation and inextricably link with sleep quality. Numerous researches have been conducted to explore the effects of the thermal environment on sleep quality under field conditions or psychrometric chamber conditions. In recent years, in order to meet the personalized sleep thermal environment and improve sleep quality, personalized sleeping temperature adjustment systems become hot topics. In this chapter, firstly, the reasons why thermal environments affect sleep regulation are described. Based on this, two kinds of personalized sleeping temperature adjustment methods are provided to ensure good sleep quality: the body cooling method and the body warming method. These two methods are applicable to different sleep thermal environments. Both of them achieve an elevation of human thermal comfort during sleep. At the same time, the building energy consumption is significantly reduced. Moreover, the disadvantages of each method are listed. Finally, future trends in personalized sleeping temperature adjustment systems development and research have been discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Li L et al (2014) Experimental study on thermal comfort of sleeping people at different air temperatures. Build Environ 73:24–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Feyer A (2001) Fatigue: time to recognise and deal with an old problem. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 322:808–809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chaput J-P, Dutil C (2016) Lack of sleep as a contributor to obesity in adolescents: impacts on eating and activity behaviors. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 13(1):103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Li S et al (2022) Effects of ambient temperatures on sleeping thermal comfort and respiratory immunity: A winter field study in college students. J Build Eng 52:104375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Foreman MD, Wykle M (1995) Nursing standard-of-practice protocol: Sleep disturbances in elderly patients: alterations in the sleep-wake cycle call for immediate assessment and intervention A Niche project protocol. Geriatr Nurs 16(5):238–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhang N, Cao B, Zhu Y (2019) Effects of pre-sleep thermal environment on human thermal state and sleep quality. Build Environ 148:600–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhang N, Cao B, Zhu Y (2018) Indoor environment and sleep quality: a research based on online survey and field study. Build Environ 137:198–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Pan D et al (2012) Performance evaluation of a novel bed-based task/ambient conditioning (TAC) system. Energ Build 44:54–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lan L et al (2013) Pilot study on the application of bedside personalized ventilation to sleeping people. Build Environ 67:160–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hibino Y et al (2012) Thermal physiological response to local heating and cooling during sleep. Front Archit Res 1(1):51–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lan L et al (2018) Local body cooling to improve sleep quality and thermal comfort in a hot environment. Indoor Air 28(1):135–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bagary M (2013) Sleep: multi-professional perspectives. Br J Psychiatry 202:239–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fang G, Deng S, Liu X (2021) A numerical study on evaluating sleeping thermal comfort using a Chinese-Kang based space heating system. Energ Build 248:111174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sung E-J, Tochihara Y (2000) Effects of bathing and hot footbath on sleep in winter. J Physiol Anthropol Appl Hum Sci 19:21–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Green A et al (2012) Sleep: multi-professional perspectives

    Google Scholar 

  16. Urlaub S et al (2015) The influence of the indoor environment on sleep quality. Healthy Build Eur 2015

    Google Scholar 

  17. Maquet P et al (2000) Experience-dependent changes in cerebral activation during human REM sleep. Nat Neurosci 3(8):831–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Iber C et al (2007) The AASM manual for scoring of sleep associated events: rules, terminology and technical specifications

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sadeh A, Acebo C (2002) The role of actigraphy in sleep medicine. Sleep Med Rev 6(2):113–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Littner M et al (2003) Practice parameters forthe role of actigraphy in the study of sleep andcircadian rhythms : an update for 2002. Sleep 26(3):337–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Buysse D et al (1989) The Pittsburgh sleep quality index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res 28

    Google Scholar 

  22. Koch TR et al (2003) Total antioxidant capacity following extrinsic denervation and small intestinal transplantation in the rat. Neurosci Lett 342(1–2):135–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Leigh TJ et al (1988) Factor analysis of the St. Mary's hospital sleep questionnaire. Sleep 11(5):448–53

    Google Scholar 

  24. Zilli I, Ficca G, Salzarulo P (2009) Factors involved in sleep satisfaction in the elderly. Sleep Med 10(2):233–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tsang TW, Mui KW, Wong LT (2021) Investigation of thermal comfort in sleeping environment and its association with sleep quality. Build Environ 187:107406

    Google Scholar 

  26. Song C et al (2015) Investigation of human thermal comfort in sleeping environments based on the effects of bed climate. Procedia Eng 121:1126–1132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Pan L, Lian Z, Lan L (2012) Investigation of sleep quality under different temperatures based on subjective and physiological measurements. HVAC&R Res 18(5):1030–1043

    Google Scholar 

  28. Gilbert SS et al (2004) Thermoregulation as a sleep signalling system. Sleep Med Rev 8(2):81–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Krauchi K (2007) The human sleep-wake cycle reconsidered from a thermoregulatory point of view. Physiol Behav 90(2–3):236–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Boulant JA, Dean JB (1986) Temperature receptors in the central nervous system. Annu Rev Physiol 48:639–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. McGinty D, Szymusiak R (2001) Brain structures and mechanisms involved in the generation of NREM sleep: focus on the preoptic hypothalamus. Sleep Med Rev 5(4):323–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Economo CV (1930) Sleep as a problem of localization. J Nervous Mental Dis 71:249–259

    Google Scholar 

  33. Zhu W et al (2017) Review on sleep thermal comfort research in hot environment. J HV&AC 47(10):35–44 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Candas V , Libert JP, Muzet A (1982) Heating and cooling stimulations during SWS and REM sleep in man. J Therm Biol 7(3):155–158

    Google Scholar 

  35. Sagot J et al (1987) Sweating responses and body temperatures during nocturnal sleep in humans. Am J Physiol 252(3 Pt 2):R462–R470

    Google Scholar 

  36. Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K, Michie S (1999) Effects of humid heat exposure on human sleep stages and body temperature. Sleep 22(6):767–773

    Google Scholar 

  37. Libert JP et al (1988) Effect of Continuous Heat Exposure on Sleep Stages in Humans. Sleep 11(2):195–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Karacan I et al (1978) Effects of high ambient temperature on sleep in young men. Aviat Space Environ Med 49(7):855–860

    Google Scholar 

  39. Tsuzuki K, Okamoto-Mizuno K, Mizuno K (2004) Effects of humid heat exposure on sleep, thermoregulation, melatonin, and microclimate. J Therm Biol 29(1):31–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Okamoto-Mizuno K et al (2005) Effects of partial humid heat exposure during different segments of sleep on human sleep stages and body temperature. Physiol Behav 83(5):759–765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Haskell EH et al (1981) Metabolism and thermoregulation during stages of sleep in humans exposed to heat and cold. J Appl Physiol 51(4):948–954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Haskell EH et al (1981) The effects of high and low ambient temperatures on human sleep stages. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 51(5):494–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Muzet A, Libert JP, Candas V (1984) Ambient temperature and human sleep. Experientia 40(5):425–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Imagawa H, Rijal HB (2014) Field survey of the thermal comfort, quality of sleep and typical occupant behaviour in the bedrooms of Japanese houses during the hot and humid season. Archit Sci Rev 58(1):11–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Kim M, Chun C, Han J (2010) A study on bedroom environment and sleep quality in Korea. Indoor Built Environ 19(1):123–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Candas V et al (1979) Body temperature during sleep under different thermal conditions. Indoor Clim Eff Human Comfort Perform Health

    Google Scholar 

  47. Zhu ML et al (2016) Field study on the objective evaluation of sleep quality and sleeping thermal environment in summer. Energ Build 133:843–852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Liu Y et al (2014) Experimental study and evaluation of the thermal environment for sleeping. Build Environ 82:546–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Wang Y et al (2015) Appropriate indoor operative temperature and bedding micro climate temperature that satisfies the requirements of sleep thermal comfort. Build Environ 92:20–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Lan L et al (2017) Thermal environment and sleep quality: a review. Energ Build 149:101–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Bauman F, Arens E (1996) Task/ambient conditioning systems: engineering and application guidelines. UC Berkeley: Center for the Built Environment. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0r36z48d

    Google Scholar 

  52. Melikov A et al (2013) Use of personalized ventilation for improving health, comfort, and performance at high room temperature and humidity. Indoor Air 23(3):250-263

    Google Scholar 

  53. Cermak R et al (2006) Performance of personalized ventilation in conjunction with mixing and displacement ventilation. Hvac&r Res 12:295–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Melikov A, Sekhar C (2010) Energy analysis of the personalized ventilation system in hot and humid climates. Energ Build 42:699–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Nunneley SA, Maldonado R (1983) Head and/or torso cooling during simulated cockpit heat stress. Aviat Space Environ Med 54:496–499

    Google Scholar 

  56. Desruelle AV, Candas V (2000) Thermoregulatory effects of three different types of head cooling in humans during a mild hyperthermia. Eur J Appl Physiol 81:33–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Liu WW, Lian ZW, Liu YM (2008) Heart rate variability at different thermal comfort levels. Eur J Appl Physiol 103(3):361–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Lavigne G et al (2001) Heart rate changes during sleep in response to experimental thermal (nociceptive) stimulation in healthy subjects. Clin Neurophysiol Off J Int Fed Clin Neurophysiol 112:532–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Kryger M et al (2004) Sleep, health, and aging: bridging the gap between science and clinical practice. Geriatrics 59:24–6, 29

    Google Scholar 

  60. Okamoto-Mizuno K, Tsuzuki K, Mizuno K (2003) Effects of head cooling on human sleep stages and body temperature. Int J Biometeorol 48(2):98–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Froese G, Burton A (1957) Heat loss from the human head. J Appl Physiol 10:235–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Crawshaw L et al (1975) Effect of local cooling on sweating rate and cold sensation. Pflügers Archiv Eur J Physiol 354:19–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Qian X, Lan L, Xiong J (2017) Effect of local cooling on thermal comfort of people in a sleeping posture. Procedia Eng 205:3277–3284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Zhang Y, Zhao R (2007) Effect of local exposure on human responses. Build Environ 42:2737–2745

    Google Scholar 

  65. Lin Z, Deng S (2008) A study on the thermal comfort in sleeping environments in the subtropics—developing a thermal comfort model for sleeping environments. Build Environ 43(1):70–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Okamoto K, Nagai Y, Iizuka S (1999) Effects of age on physiological response and bed climate during sleep followed by using the electric blanket. J Home Econ Jpn 50(3):259–265

    Google Scholar 

  67. Xia L et al (2020) Bed heating improves the sleep quality and health of the elderly who adapted to no heating in a cold environment. Energ Build 210:109687

    Google Scholar 

  68. Zhuang Z et al (2009) Chinese kang as a domestic heating system in rural northern China—a review. Energ Build 41(1):111–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Choi JW (1993) Bed climate of Korean using ondol heating system. J Therm Biol 18(5):399–403

    Google Scholar 

  70. He W et al (2013) A study on thermal performance, thermal comfort in sleeping environment and solar energy contribution of solar Chinese Kang. Energ Build 58:66–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Liu Y et al (2016) Thermal requirements of the sleeping human body in bed warming conditions. Energ Build 130:709–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. Fletcher A, Heuvel CVD, Dawson D (1999) Sleeping with an electric blanket: effects on core temperature, sleep, and melatonin in young adults. Sleep 22(3):313–318

    Google Scholar 

  73. Wang D et al (2018) A study on the heat dissipation and thermal environment of a novel heated bed. J Build Phys 42(5):629–651

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Neves SF et al (2015) Advances in the optimisation of apparel heating products: A numerical approach to study heat transport through a blanket with an embedded smart heating system. Appl Therm Eng 87:491–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Okamoto-Mizuno K et al (2005) Effects of an electric blanket on sleep stages and body temperature in young men. Ergonomics 48(7):749–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  76. Ko Y, Lee JY (2018) Effects of feet warming using bed socks on sleep quality and thermoregulatory responses in a cool environment. J Physiol Anthropol 37(1):13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Song W et al (2020) Effect of partial-body heating on thermal comfort and sleep quality of young female adults in a cold indoor environment. Build Environ 169:106585

    Google Scholar 

  78. Zhao J et al (2023) Thermoregulatory analysis of warm footbaths before bedtime: implications for enhancing sleep quality. Build Environ 227:109788

    Google Scholar 

  79. Seyyedrasooli A et al (2013) The effect of footbath on sleep quality of the elderly: a blinded randomized clinical trial. J Caring Sci 2(4):305–311

    Google Scholar 

  80. Haghayegh S et al (2019) Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev 46:124–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  81. Kräuchi K et al (1999) Warm feet promote the rapid onset of sleep. Nature 401:36–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Bischof W et al (1991) Sleep and the temperature field of the bed. J Therm Biol 18:393–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to thank Professor Faming Wang for inviting me to participate in the preparation of sleep related parts of this book, and I am honored for this cooperation. Secondly, I would like to thank the team members, Mr. Shimin Liang, Rujin Liu, Haonan Ma, Pengfei Song and Liping Chen for their contributions to the compilation of this book. At the same time, I would like to thank the experts and scholars in the same field for their great contributions. Their research has jointly promoted the development of the field of thermal comfort. Our team will continue to work in this field in the future.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China

    Songtao Hu & Shimin Liang

Authors
  1. Songtao Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shimin Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Songtao Hu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Faming Wang

  2. School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China

    Bin Yang

  3. School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

    Qihong Deng

  4. School of Mechanical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

    Maohui Luo

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hu, S., Liang, S. (2023). Thermal Comfort in Sleeping Environments. In: Wang, F., Yang, B., Deng, Q., Luo, M. (eds) Personal Comfort Systems for Improving Indoor Thermal Comfort and Air Quality. Indoor Environment and Sustainable Building. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0718-2_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0718-2_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-99-0717-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-0718-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation