We have observed the sleeping metabolism of our three investigators two nights in each in summer and autumn of 1950, winter, spring and summer of 1951. Purpose of this report is to emboss the seasonal fluctuation of sleeping metabolism, which is not only interesting physiologically, but also necessary to estimate the caloric requirement of the nation.
Figure I shows the basal metabolism, sleeping metabolism and their ratio of 3 investigators S. S., S. N. and S. K., One can understand at a glance that the seasonal fluctuation of sleeping metabolism runs entirely parallel to the basal metabolism. We conclude, consequently, the average basal metabolic rate of sleeping all through a year-94% which was reported on the Report 5-can be available in every season or through a year.
An unexpected result was the width of timely variation of metabolism during sleep. The variation was±5%, unless the subjects moved or talked in sleep when the variation amounted to ±10%. It seems to us, this variation is rather wider than in basal metabolism. This means, we suppose, the reflex of autonomic nervous system—subcortical refrex—comes out easierly in resting status of the cortex.
