Research
Hormonal
The amplitude of the endogenous circadian component of core body temperature is significantly reduced in older adults compared to young adults, contributing to reduced sleep consolidation.
Older adults often have a weaker internal signal for sleep, reflected in a smaller daily fluctuation in body temperature. This weaker signal makes it harder to stay asleep, especially in the early morning hours.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The amplitude of the endogenous circadian component of the core body temperature rhythm assessed during constant routine and forced desynchrony protocols is reduced by 20–30% in older people.
Why this rating
Derived from controlled laboratory studies (constantroutine and forced desynchrony) with statistical significance (p<.01).
Source
CONTRIBUTION OF CIRCADIAN PHYSIOLOGY AND SLEEP HOMEOSTASIS TO AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN HUMAN SLEEP
Derk‐Jan Dijk et al. · Chronobiology International · 2000
DOI 10.1081/cbi-100101049
narrative_reviewCited 364×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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