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Gender‐related sleep differences in neonates in thermoneutral and cool environments
Author(s) -
Bach Véronique,
Telliez Frédéric,
Leke André,
Libert JeanPierre
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of sleep research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2869
pISSN - 0962-1105
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2869.2000.00206.x
Subject(s) - sleep (system call) , thermoregulation , wakefulness , psychology , audiology , sleep onset , developmental psychology , sleep patterns , medicine , circadian rhythm , insomnia , electroencephalography , psychiatry , neuroscience , computer science , operating system
Although thermoregulation and sleep exhibit gender differences in adults, the question is still debated in neonates. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gender‐related sleep differences and cool defence mechanisms in neonates. Sleep and thermoregulation were recorded in healthy preterm neonates (21 boys and 17 girls, 37 ± 2 weeks post‐conceptional age) exposed to thermoneutral and cool conditions. Sleep was analysed for continuity and structure. Although the cool exposure did not strongly impair body homeothermia, sleep was altered but without any significant gender difference. However, when data recorded under each of the thermal conditions were pooled, some gender differences emerged: boys slept less, with more wakefulness after sleep onset, more active sleep and less quiet sleep than girls. In contrast to sleep architecture, most of the sleep continuity parameters exhibited greater variability in boys than in girls. This variability may bias the statistical analyses and probably explains the varying conclusions reported in the literature regarding gender‐specific sleep‐related differences.