Circadian rhythms in body temperature and sleep

Abstract A 24 hour variation of core body temperature in humans is primarily regulated by the endogenous circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. And the expression of circadian rhythm is modified by the thermoregulatory mechanism controlling heat production and heat loss, which also show circadian rhythms. On the other hand, circadian rhythms in sleep-wakefulness are expressed by two independent but mutually coupled oscillators, the circadian pacemaker and the oscillator specific to sleep-wakefulness. However, neither the mechanism nor the site of oscillation of the latter is known. The time cues for these two oscillators are different. They are usually but frequently uncoupled under free-running conditions. Body temperature and sleep-wakefulness influence the counterpart in various extents, exerting masking effects on either circadian rhythm.