Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, Sir Jules Thorn Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Oxford, UK.
Sleep. 2022 Aug 11;45(8). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsac064.
Bats, quoted as sleeping for up to 20 h a day, are an often used example of extreme sleep duration amongst mammals. Given that duration has historically been one of the primary metrics featured in comparative studies of sleep, it is important that species specific sleep durations are well founded. Here, we re-examined the evidence for the characterization of bats as extreme sleepers and discuss whether it provides a useful representation of the sleep behavior of Chiroptera. Although there are a wealth of activity data to suggest that the diurnal cycle of bats is dominated by rest, estimates of sleep time generated from electrophysiological analyses suggest considerable interspecific variation, ranging from 83% to a more moderate 61% of the 24 h day spent asleep. Temperature-dependent changes in the duration and electroencephalographic profile of sleep suggest that bats represent a unique model for investigating the relationship between sleep and torpor. Further sources of intra-specific variation in sleep duration, including the impact of artificial laboratory environments and sleep intensity, remain unexplored. Future studies conducted in naturalistic environments, using larger sample sizes and relying on a pre-determined set of defining criteria will undoubtedly provide novel insights into sleep in bats and other species.
蝙蝠，每天睡眠时间长达 20 小时，是哺乳动物中睡眠时间最长的典型例子。由于持续时间一直是比较睡眠研究的主要指标之一，因此物种特有的睡眠时间必须有充分的依据。在这里，我们重新审视了蝙蝠被描述为极度嗜睡者的证据，并讨论了它是否能很好地代表翼手目动物的睡眠行为。虽然有大量的活动数据表明蝙蝠的昼夜节律以休息为主，但从电生理分析中得出的睡眠时间估计表明，种间差异很大，从 24 小时中 83%到更适中的 61%的时间都在睡觉。睡眠持续时间和脑电图特征受温度影响，这表明蝙蝠是研究睡眠与蛰伏关系的独特模型。睡眠持续时间的种内变化的其他来源，包括人工实验室环境和睡眠强度的影响，仍有待探索。在自然环境中进行的未来研究，使用更大的样本量，并依赖于预先确定的一套定义标准，无疑将为蝙蝠和其他物种的睡眠提供新的见解。
