Effects Of The Midnight Sun On Sleep Parameters Of Researchers In A Polar Environment

The phenomenon of the midnight sun occurring near the polar circle has been known to affect circadian rhythms and, potentially, sleep quality and patterns. PURPOSE: This study aims to observe the effect of 1 to 2 months of data collection in a polar environment during the midnight sun on the sleep of master students. METHODS: Two teams, comprising 4 master’s students (1 man and 3 women per team, aged 27 ± 3 years) assigned to Bylot Island for environmental research, were recruited. The participants wore an actigraph to monitor total sleep time, REM sleep, light and deep sleep, number of cycles, and sleep efficiency a month before and during the expedition (42 ± 14 days). The participants were also asked to complete sleep perception questionnaires (Insomnia Severity Index and sleep appreciation) on a weekly basis. Given the characteristics of the sample, a paired Wilcoxon was employed for data analysis. RESULTS: The insomnia Severity Index was significantly different between baseline and the first week at midnight sun (5 ± 3 VS 11 ± 4, Z = -0,206, p = 0,039 respectively), and the average total sleep time before was significantly higher before VS during the expedition (443 ± 25 VS 418 ± 14 minutes, Z = -2,197, p = 0,028). However, no significant difference was observed between the average at baseline VS expedition for the REM sleep (22 ± 2 VS 21 ± 1%, Z = -1,633 p = 0,102), deep sleep (16 ± 4 VS 16 ± 3%, Z = -1,134, p = 0,257), efficiency (93 ± 2 VS 94 ± 1%, Z = -1,394, p = 0,163), number of cycles (5 ± 1 VS 5 ± 0 cycles, Z = -1,732, p = 0,083) CONCLUSIONS: The midnight sun affected the perception of sleep during the first week in polar environment and the average total sleep time during the expedition. However, it seems that other sleep parameters were not affected, possibly due to limited exposure time to this environment, the sleep strategies the participants used, and/or the influence of exercise related to their work. 6000 and used of Grammarly to improve the english