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Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

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Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#151

Post by VLM »

sampl wrote: post #89
LeifCarrotson wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the temperature of the blanket or sheet, under which I'd be sweating profusely for 8 hours, meaningfully less than the temperature of my bare flesh without the covering? My metabolism is still producing the same amount of heat energy, and my radiant surface area doesn't increase much. If anything, the efficiency of convective and evaporative cooling drops significantly when I cover myself, so you'd think that the…

Could be wrong about how this works, but... if it was true that a person under blankets radiates about as much heat as a bare body, that would mean blankets aren’t very good at keeping us warm. (But they do keep us warm)

I borrowed a FLIR to check my house insulation, inevitably screwing around will happen. Also images.google.com is full of FLIR people pix. In summary the outside of clothing is much colder than skin, surely blankets are similar.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#152

Post by pbhjpbhj »

Retric wrote: post #73
jamiegreen wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wet bath towel sounds...horrible! Wouldn't you develop something like 'trench foot' after a while from being constantly wet?

No, "can occur in temperatures up to 16° Celsius (about 60° Fahrenheit) and within as little as 13 hours" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_foot It's caused in large part by reduced blood flow to the extremities due to the cold. If you are useing damp cloth to keep cool then you will have plenty of blood flow. Unsanitary conditions do make increase the risks.

I don't think they meant trench foot per se. If you lie in a bath, your wet skin goes soft and is relatively easily rubbed/peeled away around the extremities (toes, fingers).

I've noticed similar softening when walking with sweat/rain-soaked socks. Also assumed it was the condition people talk of which makes keeping feet dry on jungle expeditions so important.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#153

Post by danielbln »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #88
mrfusion wrote: post #82

Offshoot question that’s always bothered me. How did ancient humans sleep before pillows? I can’t image finding a comfortable sleeping position on a bare floor with no pillow. But other animals like dogs seem fine.

It's all about what you're used to. For a year or two I didn't sleep with a pillow, I can't remember why I stopped using one or why I started again. I was still sleeping on a mattress though. I just used my arm as a pillow. When I'm hiking, I'm sleeping on the ground without a pillow, and I've never had a problem with it.

On the flip side, I always need an inflatable pillow or a pillow section built into my inflatable mattress when I'm camping, otherwise I need to sleep on my backpack or a pile of clothes or something. Can't sleep without a pillow for the life of me.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#154

Post by Retric »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #152
Retric wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, "can occur in temperatures up to 16° Celsius (about 60° Fahrenheit) and within as little as 13 hours" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_foot It's caused in large part by reduced blood flow to the extremities due to the cold. If you are useing damp cloth to keep cool then you will have plenty of blood flow. Unsanitary conditions do make increase the risks.

I don't think they meant trench foot per se . If you lie in a bath, your wet skin goes soft and is relatively easily rubbed/peeled away around the extremities (toes, fingers). I've noticed similar softening when walking with sweat/rain-soaked socks. Also assumed it was the condition people talk of which makes keeping feet dry on jungle expeditions so important.

Got it, however tap water is far more sanitary than jungle water, also walking around is going put a lot more stress on your skin than sleeping. Also, there is a difference from having a damp cloth on you and having water sloshing though your boots.

Historically the only option was to be constantly setting though a heat wave for days at a time. Though drying sweat leaves behind a lot of salt which does help simply being a little damp is not a huge deal.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#155

Post by Hextinium »

dilap wrote: post #135

For me it was just a habit thing. I was used to having a blanket and felt uncomfortable without it. I realized this was silly, and made a conscious decision to try sleeping without a blanket. After a couple of nights, I got used to it, and it was not a problem.

I trained myself when sleeping on a cot to not need a blanket because it was so hot but immediately after returning to a bed I started using a blanket again. I can still sleep on a cot though with no blanket. I think you can train yourself with context to sleep with our without a blanket.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#156

Post by b0rsuk »

I have zero evidence, but I think it may have to do with sense of touch. For me it's more comfortable to be in a cold room under a blanket than to lie on a bed in a warm (or even hot) room. Similarly, I'm one of many people who enjoy lying in a bathtub. It somehow feels relaxing. The touch, the pressure of warm water.

Studies on autism might shed more light. Temple Grandin even built herself a machine which would touch her from sides, the way cows are.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#158

Post by thomaslangston »

scott_s wrote: post #122

Well, this is complicated. One of the linked studies shows the opposite result claimed in this article. This article says: " About 60 to 90 minutes before a usual bedtime, the body starts losing core temperature. There’s a physiological explanation for that: when the body is heated, we feel more alert. And conversely, when the body cools down, we tend to feel sleepier. Cooler internal body temperatures are correlated…

I wonder if that actually is an agreement, but the actual measurement should be difference between skin and core temperature? So either decreasing core or increasing skin both have the same effect.

Re: Why Do We Sleep Under Blankets, Even on the Hottest Nights? (2017)

#159

Post by Symbiote »

utexaspunk wrote: post #118
overcast wrote: post #96

It's a weight thing for me, and not a warmth thing. I crave the feeling of something on me when I'm sleeping. Probably a sense of security. I've been on the eternal hunt for something heavy weight, and low heat. Currently using 3 x varying weights of knit cotton blankets, and does the job.

Definitely. You know when you get an x-ray at the dentist and they put that lead blanket over you? I love that thing. I wonder if they make those in a king size...

Perhaps a "sand vest" or "hug vest"?

I came across them with this article last month: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/20/use-of-sand-ve...

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