Effects of the Sleep Environment in the Summer on Sleep and Bed Climate of the Foot Area in Preschool-aged Children and their Mothers

Abstract

  The effects of the sleep environment in the summer on sleep and bed climate of the foot area in preschool-aged children (PC) and their mothers were investigated. The subjects included 10 pairs of PC and their mothers. The study was conducted during the summer and fall. Wrist actigraphy, bed climate of the foot area, temperature and relative humidity outside and within the bedroom, subjective sleep, and thermal and comfort sensations were measured. The bedroom temperature was significantly higher in the summer (27.1 ± 0.25℃) than that in the fall (23.1 ± 0.69℃). In multiple comparisons, in PC, the sleep time and sleep efficiency index significantly decreased and wakefulness increased in the summer compared to those in the fall, while there were no significant differences in the mothers. PC’s sleep as observed by their mothers was significantly worse in the summer compared to that in the fall. The bed climate temperature of the foot area was significantly lower in PC than in mothers, regardless of the season. These results suggest that adverse effect of high ambient temperature on sleep may be greater in PC than that in mothers.