A study on the effects of different bedding systems on thermal comfort - Quantifying the sensitivity coefficient used for calculating Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) in sleeping environments

Sleep can help people overcome physical and psychological fatigue, and sleep is very important to one's memory. The total insulation value of a bedding system is a significant factor, which affects remarkably the thermal comfort for sleeping environments. This paper reports a study on the effects of different bedding systems on thermal comfort to quantify the sensitivity coefficient used for calculating PMV in sleeping environments. Firstly, the experimental materials and methods were described in detail. Then, the experimental results and their analysis of the effects of different bedding systems on thermal comfort, in terms of skin temperatures and thermal sensations, are reported. Finally, the sensitivity coefficient used for calculating PMV in sleeping environments is regressed and further discussions are presented. The experimental results showed that the bedding systems affected remarkably mean skin temperatures, and especially the local skin temperature at forearm posterior. The relationship between the local skin temperature at forearm posterior and thermal sensation of subjects was established, suggesting that the skin temperatures was an important factor that influences the human's sensation during sleep. A sensitivity coefficient with a higher value of 0.1733 was regressed by the experimental results, and can be used for calculating PMV in sleeping environment.