OCCUPANT PERCEPTION OF THERMAL COMFORT IN SLEEP ENVIRONMENTS IN QATAR

Abstract

A thermal comfort field survey in sleep environments in winter and spring seasons in Qatar collected 833 sets of objective and subjective thermal and sleep quality responses before going to bed and after getting up. The subjects felt cooler sensations most of the time, preferred warmer sensations and the sleep environments are considered comfortable overall. Griffiths comfort temperature (Tc) was 24.3 ˚C and 20.2 ˚C in FR and AC modes respectively.  Subjects used air-conditioner (AC)s adaptively in heating mode in winter.  In 82.7% cases in air-conditioned (AC) mode, the comfort temperature was below the lower limit of the international standard. Subjects enjoyed quality sleep in Qatar. Overall self-declared sleep quality improved with thermal acceptability. Depth of sleep was higher in AC mode (mean = 3.86). On the other hand, mean global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was high in general (mean = 10.7), indicating good quality sleep, and significantly so in free-running mode (mean = 11) than in AC mode (mean = 10.4). It increased as subjects liked their AC systems. This study suggests that overcooling in spring can be avoided by increasing the air movement without compromising sleep quality.