The Effects of High-Temperature Weather on Human Sleep Quality and Appetite

Abstract

High-temperature weather appears in high frequency, big strength, and long duration in the summer. It is therefore important to study the effects of high-temperature weather on sleep quality and appetite. Ten healthy college students were selected as subjects. The experiment conditions were divided by the daily maximum temperature into 28 °C, 32 °C, 36 °C, and 38 °C. The objective sleep quality was measured by an intelligent sleep monitoring belt, and the subjective sleep quality was measured by a questionnaire survey. The subjective appetites were assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS), and the objective appetites were assessed by the meal weight and the meal time. For sleep quality, the objective results indicated that the sleep quality at 32 °C was the best, followed by 28 °C, while the sleep quality at 36 °C and 38 °C was the worst. Significant effects were mainly reflected in sleep duration and shallow sleep. The subjective results showed that temperature had significant effects on sleep calmness, difficulty in falling asleep, sleep satisfaction, and sleep adequateness. For appetite, the VAS results indicated that high temperatures mainly led to a reduction of appetite at lunch time. The meal weights of lunch were larger than those of supper except for 28 °C, and the meal time of lunch and supper was longer than that of breakfast. The meal time of lunch was longer than that of supper except for 36 °C. This paper can provide a study method and reference data for the sleep quality and appetite of human in high-temperature weather.

Associations of Relative Humidity and Lifestyles with Metabolic Syndrome among the Ecuadorian Adult Population: Ecuador National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-ECU) 2012

“…This association suggested a regulatory role of hormones on appetite regulation and the onset of metabolic abnormalities. In contrast with our findings, other studies reported that exposure to high ambient temperatures and humidity under resting conditions caused poor appetite and reduced energy intake [51,52], which may be explained by some physiological factors such as reduced digestive enzyme activity and metabolic rate decrease [53].…”

Sensitivity to Climate and Weather Changes in Euthymic Bipolar Subjects: Association With Suicide Attempts

“…Of note, dysfunctions in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems have been also shown to play a role in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying emotion dysregulation, which, in turn, is strongly linked to mood recurrences, impulsive behaviors, and substance abuse, ultimately leading to an increased risk of suicide in BD patients (53)(54)(55). Similarly, meteorological factors, including low barometric pressure, high temperatures and precipitations, have been associated with decreased sleep quality and abnormal circadian patterns (56,57), which, in turn, may represent a potential marker of SA in BD (58).…”

Ambient temperature‐mediated enzymic activities and intestinal microflora in Lymantria dispar larvae

“…The present study also showed that nonoptimal temperature might inhibit the digestive enzyme activities. It would probably be the reason why temperature can affect the entomic appetite (Chen, Wong, Chan, & Wong, 2019;Zheng, Li, & Wang, 2019). In addition, simultaneous acute stressors may act in combination to alter normal immune function, and lead an additive or even synergistic effect (Ortuño, Esteban, & Meseguer, 2002).…”