The impact of bedroom environment on sleep quality in winter and summer in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

• Published in: Building and environment 2023-10, Vol.244, p.110785, Article 110785
• Main Authors: Guo, Chao, Lan, Li, Zhang, Haodong, Yan, Yan, Kang, Mengyuan, Liu, Yige, Yang, Zuobing, Jiao, Hu, Liu, Songming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: High-altitude sleep quality; Highland environment; Sleep microclimate; Sleep on the plateau
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110785

The special climatic environment at high-altitude results in common sleep problems for the local inhabitants. Analyzing the relationship between bedroom environment and sleep at high-altitude is one way to improve sleep quality. This study investigated the bedroom environment and sleep quality of plateau dwellers in the Tibetan Plateau region in winter and summer respectively. One hundred and ninety-seven healthy local residents participated in a 1-week bedroom environment and sleep monitoring, resulting in a total of 690 person nights of valid data. The results showed that high-altitude environment caused more wakefulness after sleep onset compared to the NSF recommendation. Sleep of high-altitude residents in summer was associated with more environmental parameters in the bedroom. High Ta, high RH and high CO2 in summer exacerbated the decrease in sleep efficiency and deep sleep duration, with CO2 being the more dominant environmental factor. In winter, the dry environment reduced the length of light sleep for the highlanders, leaving them more sleep deprived when indoor heating was available. [Display omitted] •Wakefulness after sleep onset was the main sleep problem at high altitude.•Occupants felt dry in winter due to low humidity, which made them more sleep deprived.•Sleep in summer was associated with more environmental parameters in the bedroom.•Higher levels of Ta, RH and CO2 exacerbated the decline in sleep quality in summer.