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Pupil size reveals arousal level fluctuations in human sleep

Author

Listed:
  • Manuel Carro-Domínguez

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Stephanie Huwiler

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Stella Oberlin

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Timona Leandra Oesch

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Gabriela Badii

    (FMH Ophthalmology)

  • Anita Lüthi

    (University of Lausanne)

  • Nicole Wenderoth

    (ETH Zurich
    Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE)
    ETH Zurich)

  • Sarah Nadine Meissner

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Caroline Lustenberger

    (ETH Zurich
    ETH Zurich
    University of Zurich)

Abstract

Recent animal research has revealed the intricate dynamics of arousal levels that are important for maintaining proper sleep resilience and memory consolidation. In humans, changes in arousal level are believed to be a determining characteristic of healthy and pathological sleep but tracking arousal level fluctuations has been methodologically challenging. Here we measured pupil size, an established indicator of arousal levels, by safely taping the right eye open during overnight sleep and tested whether pupil size affects cortical response to auditory stimulation. We show that pupil size dynamics change as a function of important sleep events across different temporal scales. In particular, our results show pupil size to be inversely related to the occurrence of sleep spindle clusters, a marker of sleep resilience. Additionally, we found pupil size prior to auditory stimulation to influence the evoked response, most notably in delta power, a marker of several restorative and regenerative functions of sleep. Recording pupil size dynamics provides insights into the interplay between arousal levels and sleep oscillations.

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Carro-Domínguez & Stephanie Huwiler & Stella Oberlin & Timona Leandra Oesch & Gabriela Badii & Anita Lüthi & Nicole Wenderoth & Sarah Nadine Meissner & Caroline Lustenberger, 2025. "Pupil size reveals arousal level fluctuations in human sleep," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57289-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57289-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bates, Douglas & Mächler, Martin & Bolker, Ben & Walker, Steve, 2015. "Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 67(i01).
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