Sleep is a fundamental, evolutionarily conserved, plastic behavior that is regulated by circadian and homeostatic mechanisms as well as genetic factors and environmental factors, such as light, humidity, and temperature. Among environmental cues, temperature plays an important role in the regulation of sleep. This review presents an overview of thermoreception in animals and the neural circuits that link this process to sleep. Understanding the influence of temperature on sleep can provide insight into basic physiologic processes that are required for survival and guide strategies to manage sleep disorders.
Keywords: dorsal neuron; preoptic area; sleep; temperature; transient receptor potential.