Cold exposure and/or fasting modulate the relationship between sleep and body temperature rhythms in mice

- The relationship between sleep and core temperature (Tc) was assessed in mice.
- The sleep period correlated with Tc when mice were exposed to cold or fasted.
- REM sleep and Tc rhythms dissociated when both cold and fasting were combined.

We assessed the relationship between core temperature (Tc) and sleep rhythms in mice, and examined the effects of ambient temperature and fasting. Tc, electroencephalograms (EEG), electromyograms (EMG), and spontaneous activity in male ICR mice (n = 9) were measured by telemetry for 3 days under a 12:12 h dark-light cycle. Mice were fed or fasted at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 27°C or 20°C for the final 30 h of the experiment. The vigilance state was categorized into a wake state, rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep, and non-REM (NREM) sleep, and the total sleep time (TST) was assessed. Relationships between Tc and TST, NREM periods, and REM sleep were estimated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. During cold exposure, Tc decreased during the dark and light phases, and TST and the periods of NREM and REM sleep decreased during the dark phase. Throughout the fasting period, Tc also decreased during the dark and light phases. Furthermore, the decrease in Tc was augmented when fasting and cold were combined. TST and NREM sleep periods decreased in the light and dark phases, respectively, whereas REM sleep periods decreased in both phases. Negative linear correlations (r = − 0.884 to − 0.987) were observed between Tc and TST, NREM sleep periods, and REM sleep periods, except for Tc and REM sleep periods where fasting and cold conditions were combined. The correlations between sleep and Tc rhythms were well maintained during cold exposure and fasting. However, when cold and fasting were combined, REM sleep and Tc rhythms were desynchronized.