Cold Hypersensitivity and Sleep Quality: A Cross-sectional Community-based Study

Abstract

Background: Cold hypersensitivity (CH) and sleep disorders are not limited to patients with specific diseases, as they are also commonly observed in the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between CH and sleep quality.Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from a cohort of 5,052 individuals living in South Korea. Based on the results of a questionnaire on CH, the participants were classified into four groups: non-CH, CH in the hands (CHH), CH in the feet (CHF), and CH in the hands and feet (CHHF). Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Multiple regression was used for groupwise comparisons of total PSQI scores and the scores for each component, and logistic regression was used to find the odds ratios of being a “poor sleeper” (PSQI≥8.5).Results: The CHF and CHHF groups showed significantly higher scores than the non-CH group on the overall PSQI as well as on the following sleep components: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, and sleep medication use. The odds ratios for being a “poor sleeper” were significant in the CHF (1.84; CI=1.38-2.43) and CHHF groups (1.54; CI=1.25-1.89), but the CHH group did not show any difference from the non-CH group. We identified a correlation between CH in the feet and poor sleep quality.Conclusions: These findings help to elucidate the relationship between sleep and CH and highlight the need to clarify the underlying mechanism.