TY - JOUR
T1 - Altitude and Seasonality Impact on Sleep in Antarctica
AU - Collet, Gregory
AU - Mairesse, Olivier
AU - Cortoos, Aisha
AU - Tellez, Helio Fernandez
AU - Neyt, Xavier
AU - Peigneux, Philippe
AU - Macdonald-Nethercott, Eoin
AU - Ducrot, Yves Marie
AU - Pattyn, Nathalie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Aerospace Medical Association, Alexandria, VA.
PY - 2015/4/1
Y1 - 2015/4/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Extreme environments
KW - Hypobaric hypoxia
KW - Polar regions
KW - Sleep
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930743592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3357/AMHP.4159.2015
DO - 10.3357/AMHP.4159.2015
M3 - Article
C2 - 25945557
AN - SCOPUS:84930743592
SN - 2375-6314
VL - 86
SP - 392
EP - 396
JO - Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance
JF - Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance
IS - 4
ER -