Sleep and the sleep environment temperature

EEG's and skin temperature measurements were made on six men and six women while sleeping in environments whose temperatures were 10·0°C, 21·1°C, and 32·2°C. Analysis of the EEG recordings showed that the proportion of time in each sleep stage was not affected by the temperature of the sleep environment. The weighted mean skin temperatures of the subjects were similar for the 10·0°C and 21·1°C condition, with a mean of 34·5°C for the sleep period. The mean weighted skin temperature for the 32·2°C condition was 35·6°C. A questionnaire administered when the subjects had awakened showed that women did not sleep as well at 10·0°C as at the other temperatures, when sleeping in conventional bedding and clothing.