Sleep and vegetative functions

• Inoue Yuichi

  Department of Somnology, Tokyo Medical University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 睡眠と自律神経・内分泌・免疫系の関係

Abstract

It has been widely accepted that nocturnal sleep is the period having function for taking rest and relaxation of human body. After the onset of sleep, clear decrease in sympathetic function with reduced secretion of norepinephrine manifested as a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and frequencies of sympathetic discharges from antigravity muscles is commonly observed. During sleep period, sympathetic function becomes lowest during slow wave sleep, while the function becomes higher in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep than that in awake period. This sleep related resting function may explain the mechanism of frequent occurrence of cardiovascular disease in chronically sleep deprived persons. On the other hand, increased sympathetic function coming from psychological stress may cause disturbance in initiation or maintenance of nocturnal sleep. That is, autonomic function and sleep mechanism correlate mutually.<BR>Nocturnal sleep occurs depending on the change in circadian vegetative function. Just before the sleep onset, secretion of melatonin from pineal grand increases, leading to the rapid decrease in core-body temperature, which have a key role in initiating sleep. During slow wave period especially in the earlier period of nocturnal sleep, growth hormone and prolactin, both of which are essential for keeping metabolism of the body efficiently, are pulsatively secreted. In addition, secretion of sleep promoting cytokines becomes elevated during the night time and decreases early in the morning.<BR>All these changes in vegetative functions contribute to the consolidation of sleep-awake control and metabolism of human body.Skin Research, Suppl. 20: 31-36, 2013

Journal

• Hifu no kagaku

  Hifu no kagaku 12 (Suppl.20), 31-36, 2013

  Meeting of Osaka Dermatological Association/Meeting of Keiji Dermatological Association

Keywords

• Sleep
• circadian rhythm
• autonomic nervous system
• endocrine system
• immunity

Details

• CRID: 1390282680166352896
• NII Article ID: 130004546928
• DOI: 10.11340/skinresearch.12.31
• ISSN: 18839614
• ISSN: 13471813
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed