Description

Good sleep quality is characterized by long deep sleep stages and reduced awakening episodes when the human body is at its neutral thermal state. The latter is affected by a range of environmental conditions at the selected bedding system, consisted of sleepwear and bedding cover. In warm room conditions and unconditioned spaces, heat stress accompanied by sleep disturbance may be expected to occur in sleeping stages at high environmental conditions. This heat stress affects sleep quality and can be addressed through the thermal state of the human body during sleep. Therefore, the aim of this study is to predict the thermal response of a sleeping individual at a range of moderate and hot environmental conditions during undisturbed sleeping and disturbed sleeping patterns. A multi-segmented bioheat model for the human body was modified to be adaptive for predicting the thermal state during sleeping. The modifications of the bioheat model were related to the control equations of the thermoregulatory responses (vasomotor, sudomotor, and shivering) during sleeping stages and to the energy balance equations between the human body and environment when assumed in supine position. Validation of a modified bioheat model was accomplished through the prediction of core and skin temperatures of body segments with results of published human subject experimental study. Good agreement was found between experimental and predicted values of mean skin and core temperatures. Then, a parametric study was done to compare the change in the thermal state of the human body (mean skin temperatures) during undisturbed and disturbed sleeping patterns in moderate and hot environmental conditions. The predicted values of mean skin temperature were compared to the reported experimental data. Results showed that the neutrality of body thermal state and good sleep quality was correlated to the environmental conditions for a fixed bedding system.

Citation: 4th Intl Conf: Efficient Bldg Design

Product Details

Published:

2020

Number of Pages:

8

Units of Measure:

Dual

File Size:

1 file , 2.1 MB

Product Code(s):

D-ICEB20-07