Shivering is a physical response where muscles contract and relax rapidly, generating heat to warm the body. While often associated with feeling cold, it can also occur due to other factors, including lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the body’s ability to maintain its temperature, potentially leading to involuntary shivering.
How the Body Regulates Temperature
The body maintains a stable internal temperature, typically around 98.6°F (37°C), through a process called thermoregulation. The hypothalamus, a region in the brain, acts as the body’s central thermostat, receiving signals from temperature sensors throughout the body. When the body’s temperature deviates from its set point, the hypothalamus initiates various responses to restore balance, including widening or narrowing blood vessels, sweating, and shivering.
The Connection Between Sleep and Thermoregulation
Body temperature naturally fluctuates throughout the day, following a circadian rhythm. Typically, core body temperature begins to drop in the evening, signaling the body to prepare for sleep. This temperature decrease continues during sleep, reaching its lowest point in the early morning hours, often one to two hours before waking. This natural temperature reduction is important for initiating and maintaining restorative sleep. During the different stages of sleep, the body’s temperature regulation also changes. In non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, particularly deep sleep, body temperature continues to decrease. However, during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the body’s ability to regulate its temperature becomes less efficient.
Why Lack of Sleep Can Cause Shivering
Sleep deprivation can disrupt the hypothalamus’s ability to effectively manage body temperature. This disruption may lead to the body misinterpreting temperature signals or struggling to maintain its optimal set point. Consequently, the body might initiate heat-generating mechanisms, like shivering, as a compensatory response to perceived coldness.
Sleep deprivation also impacts the body’s stress response, leading to increased levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol. These hormonal changes can influence metabolism and how the body perceives temperature, potentially contributing to feelings of coldness and subsequent shivering.
A lack of sleep can also affect the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions like blood flow and heat distribution. Dysregulation of this system can further impair the body’s capacity to efficiently regulate its temperature, potentially resulting in shivering.
When to Seek Medical Advice
While lack of sleep can contribute to shivering, persistent or severe shivering, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, warrants medical attention. If shivering occurs with a fever, intense pain, confusion, extreme fatigue, a stiff neck, or changes in skin color, it could indicate a more serious underlying condition. These symptoms may indicate infections, like the flu, or other health issues requiring professional diagnosis and treatment.
Other common causes of shivering include infections, low blood sugar, anxiety, and thyroid problems. If shivering is frequent, unexplained, or interferes with daily life, consulting a healthcare professional is important to determine the cause and receive appropriate guidance. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.