Effects of sonic booms on fingerpulse amplitudes during sleep

In two experimental series (19 53 nights, respectively, in 2 different persons in each series; testtime 10.30 p.m. to 3.00 a.m.) fingerp Pulse amplitudes after sonic booms were recorded during sleep, a very significant correlation was found between the reduction of fingerpulse amplitudes and the pulse rate before boom.

Abstract

In two experimental series (19 53 nights, respectively, in 2 different persons in each series; testtime 10.30 p.m. to 3.00 a.m.) fingerpulse amplitudes after sonic booms were recorded during sleep. In the first 3 nights the subjects slept undisturbed by noise. In the following 11 and 30 nights, respectively, sonic booms were applied alternately 2 or 4 times. In the main series, after 10 more nights without noise, 4 nights with 8 and 16 sonic booms alternately followed. The last 6 undisturbed nights in both series were used as a comparison phase. The interval between two sonic booms was 40 min in nights with 2 booms, 20 min in nights with 4 booms and in the nights with 8 and 16 sonic booms 8.6 and 4.6 min, respectively. Sound level of the sonic booms ranged from 0.48 to 1.45 mbar, 1 mbar (83.5 dB[A]) on the average. The first sonic boom was applied if one of the two subjects had entered the deepest stage of sleep. Sonic booms induced a decrease in fingerpulse amplitudes, which begin 3 sec after the onset of the stimulus. The minimum occurs after 8 sec, followed by an increase towards the preboom value. The reduction of the fingerpulse amplitudes is very significant (P ≤ 1%) from the 4th to the 22nd sec. This reaction was analyzed with special regard to the following factors: