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Regulation of Energy Metabolism and Body Temperature During Sleep and Circadian Torpor

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Clinical Physiology of Sleep

Part of the book series: Clinical Physiology ((CLINPHY))

Abstract

endotherms (mammals and birds) elevate their body temperatures above ambient levels through mechanisms of shivering and nonshivering thermogenesis, which require rates of metabolism eight to ten times greater than those of reptiles of similar size passively heated to the same body temperature. Many birds and small species of mammals minimize their thermogenic energy expenditures when food is scarce and/or ambient temperatures are low by reducing their body temperature and metabolic rate each night or day to enter a state of torpor characterized by a decrease in body temperature of 5–20℃ below their euthermic levels of 36–41℃. These states of shallow torpor usually occur with a circadian (≈24−h) rhythm and are described here as circadian torpor to obviate confusion generated by the more commonly used term daily torpor when referring to episodes of nocturnal torpor in diurnally active animals. Moreover these episodes of torpor can occur as endogenous free-running circadian rhythms under conditions of constant ambient temperature, photoperiod, and ad libitum food and water. Circadian torpor sometimes extends into multiday bouts of continuous torpor, resembling seasonal bouts of hibernation in larger mammals (47).

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  1. Department of Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA

    Ralph J. Berger & Nathan H. Phillips

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  1. Departments of Medicine and Physiology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ralph Lydic

  2. Department of Anesthesia, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

    Julien F. Biebuyck

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Berger, R.J., Phillips, N.H. (1988). Regulation of Energy Metabolism and Body Temperature During Sleep and Circadian Torpor. In: Lydic, R., Biebuyck, J.F. (eds) Clinical Physiology of Sleep. Clinical Physiology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7599-6_12

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