Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Timing the end of nocturnal sleep

Nature volume 397, pages 29–30 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Some people can quite accurately time the end of their night's sleep at will, without using an alarm clock1, demonstrating that it is possible to voluntarily control a state of consciousness that is characterized by a loss of volition and attentional guidance2. Here we show that the expectation that sleep will come to an end at a certain time induces a marked increase in the concentration of the hormone adrenocorticotropin in the blood one hour before waking. The regulation of adrenocorticotropin release during nocturnal sleep is therefore not confined to daily rhythms; it also reflects a preparatory process in anticipation of the end of sleep.

Your institute does not have access to this article

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Figure 1: Figure 1 Mean plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropin for subjects under ‘short sleep’, ‘surprise’ and ‘long.

References

  1. Moorcroft, W. H., Hennager Kayser, K. & Griggs, A. J. Sleep 20, 40– 45 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hobson, J. A. & Stickgold, R. in The Cognitive Neurosciences (ed. Gazzaniga, M.) 1373-1389 (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1995).

  3. Van Cauter, E. & Turek, F. W. in Endocrinology Vol. 3 (ed. DeGroot, L. J.) 2487-2548 (Saunders, Philadelphia, 1995).

  4. Czeisler, C. A., Weitzman, E. D., Moore-Ede, M. C., Zimmerman, J. C. & Knauer, R. Science 210, 1264–1267 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Späth-Schwalbe, E., Schöller, T., Kern, W., Fehm, H. L. & Born, J. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 75, 1431–1435 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mason, J. W.et al. Psychosom. Med. 35, 406–414 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Deinzer, R., Kirschbaum, C., Gresele, C. & Hellhammer, H. Physiol. Behav. 61, 507–511 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ehrhart-Bornstein, M., Hinson, J. P., Bornstein, S. R., Scherbaum, W. A. & Vinson, G. P. Endocr. Rev. 19, 101–143 ( 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lavie, P., Oksenberg, A. & Zomer, J. Percept. Motor Skills 49, 447 –450 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Follenius, M., Brandenberger, G. & Muzet, A. Horm. Metab. Res. 17, 602– 606 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Clinical Neuroendocrinology University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Haus, 23538 23a, Lübeck, Germany

    Jan Born, Kirsten Hansen, Lisa Marshall & Matthias Mölle

  2. Departments of Internal Medicine University of Lbeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Haus, 23538 23a, Lbeck, Germany

    Horst L. Fehm

Authors
  1. Jan Born
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kirsten Hansen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lisa Marshall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Matthias Mölle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Horst L. Fehm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Born, J., Hansen, K., Marshall, L. et al. Timing the end of nocturnal sleep. Nature 397, 29–30 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/16166

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/16166

Further reading

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing