Researchers Reveal How Body Temperature and Dreams Are Linked
University of Bern: at extreme temperatures the body spends resources on thermoregulation instead of dreaming — the key lies in melanin-concentrating hormone neurons.
University of Bern: at extreme temperatures the body spends resources on thermoregulation instead of dreaming — the key lies in melanin-concentrating hormone neurons.
Researchers at the University of Bern, using rodents as a model, found that dreams stop occurring when the temperature is too high or too low. The body simply switches to thermoregulation and has no resources left for dreams.
It is known that dreams occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep. At this moment, the body's temperature regulation mechanism is suppressed. As a result, sweating, shivering in the cold, and other bodily reactions lose their effectiveness in maintaining core body temperature.
The scientists studied the hypothalamus of mice — the part of the brain responsible for thermoregulation and the slow-wave sleep phase. Neurons of melanin-concentrating hormone are important for dreaming sleep. The specialists became interested in the genes of receptors for this hormone. They «switched» them on and off at will.
The researchers put ordinary mice to sleep in a comfortably warm room and in rooms at various temperatures. A pleasant temperature led to a longer REM sleep phase. Mice with «switched-off» melanin-concentrating hormone receptors, however, could not adequately adjust to temperature changes through the hypothalamus. As a result, the duration of individual sleep phases did not change. According to the scientists, the purpose of REM sleep is to activate important brain functions, especially when there is no need to spend energy on thermoregulation.
Book a visit — we will pick a convenient time.