Altitude and Seasonality Impact on Sleep in Antarctica
BACKGROUND: This study investigates the effects of seasonality and altitude on sleep in extreme Antarctic conditions.
METHODS: During summer and winter periods, 24 h of actimetric recordings were obtained at two different research stations, Dumont d’Urville (sea level altitude) and Concordia (corrected altitude 12,467 ft or 3800 m).
RESULTS: During daytime, there were no altitude- or season-related differences in time spent at work, energy expenditure, or number of walking steps. During the nighttime however, total sleep time was longer (m = 427.4; SD = 42.4), sleep efficiency higher (m = 90; SD = 4.8), and wake after sleep onset shorter (m = 42.2; SD = 28.7) at sea level. Additionally, sleep fragmentation episodes and energy expenditure were higher during summer than winter periods.
DISCUSSION: Our results show that dramatic variations in light exposure are not the only main factor affecting sleep quality in Antarctica, as altitude also markedly impacted sleep in these conditions. The effect of altitude-induced hypoxia should be taken into account in future investigations of sleep in extreme environments.
Collet G, Mairesse O, Cortoos A, Tellez HF, Neyt X, Peigneux P, Macdonald-Nethercott E, Ducrot Y-M, Pattyn N. Altitude and seasonality impact on sleep in Antarctica. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(4):392–396.
METHODS: During summer and winter periods, 24 h of actimetric recordings were obtained at two different research stations, Dumont d’Urville (sea level altitude) and Concordia (corrected altitude 12,467 ft or 3800 m).
RESULTS: During daytime, there were no altitude- or season-related differences in time spent at work, energy expenditure, or number of walking steps. During the nighttime however, total sleep time was longer (m = 427.4; SD = 42.4), sleep efficiency higher (m = 90; SD = 4.8), and wake after sleep onset shorter (m = 42.2; SD = 28.7) at sea level. Additionally, sleep fragmentation episodes and energy expenditure were higher during summer than winter periods.
DISCUSSION: Our results show that dramatic variations in light exposure are not the only main factor affecting sleep quality in Antarctica, as altitude also markedly impacted sleep in these conditions. The effect of altitude-induced hypoxia should be taken into account in future investigations of sleep in extreme environments.
Collet G, Mairesse O, Cortoos A, Tellez HF, Neyt X, Peigneux P, Macdonald-Nethercott E, Ducrot Y-M, Pattyn N. Altitude and seasonality impact on sleep in Antarctica. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(4):392–396.
Keywords: extreme environments; hypobaric hypoxia; polar regions; sleep
Document Type: Short Communication
Publication date: 01 April 2015
- This journal (formerly Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine), representing the members of the Aerospace Medical Association, is published monthly for those interested in aerospace medicine and human performance. It is devoted to serving and supporting all who explore, travel, work, or live in hazardous environments ranging from beneath the sea to the outermost reaches of space. The original scientific articles in this journal provide the latest available information on investigations into such areas as changes in ambient pressure, motion sickness, increased or decreased gravitational forces, thermal stresses, vision, fatigue, circadian rhythms, psychological stress, artificial environments, predictors of success, health maintenance, human factors engineering, clinical care, and others. This journal also publishes notes on scientific news and technical items of interest to the general reader, and provides teaching material and reviews for health care professionals.
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