Impact of real-world stress on cardiorespiratory resting function during sleep in daily life.

To examine if real-world stress affects the restorative function of sleep in daily life, we studied the impact of college examinations on cardiorespiratory resting function during sleep. In healthy college students, at 1 week before, the day before, and the first day of semester-end examinations pulse wave signal during sleep at their own residences was measured continuously with a wristband-shaped wireless transdermal photoelectric sensor. The cardiorespiratory resting function was assessed quantitatively as the power of a high-frequency component of pulse rate variability, a surrogate measure of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Changes in anxiety were also evaluated with a state anxiety questionnaire. On the day before the examinations, compared with 1 week before, the score of state anxiety increased and the HF component of pulse rate variability decreased. Among college students, anxiety about college examinations may be accompanied by suppression of the cardiorespiratory resting function during sleep.