Akaarir Mourad, Nicolau M Cristina, Cañellas Francesca, Rubiño Jose A, Barceló Pere, Gamundí Antonio, Martin-Reina Aida, Rial Rubén V
Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma, Spain.
Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IUNICS), Hospital Universitario Son Espases, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma, Spain.
Biology (Basel). 2025 Mar 28;14(4):352. doi: 10.3390/biology14040352.
It is currently affirmed that sleep detracts from time for foraging, reproductive, and anti-predatory activities. In contrast, we show that the sleep-related reductions in food intake and reproductive activities may, in fact, be benefits. Furthermore, the present report shows that the optimal prey are the immature, weak, sick, and senescent animals and rarely the sleeping fit adults. Indeed, the reduced sleeping time observed in prey animals occurs, not because of an evolutionary antipredation pressure but because of the time-expensive foraging-related activities and the digestion of the high-cellulose content in the herbivores' diet, an activity that leaves reduced amounts of daily time for sleeping. We conclude that the need for sleep ranks lower than those of foraging, reproduction, and antipredation activities.
目前人们认为，睡眠会减少觅食、繁殖和反捕食活动的时间。相比之下，我们发现与睡眠相关的食物摄入量和繁殖活动的减少实际上可能是有益的。此外，本报告表明，最佳猎物是未成熟、弱小、生病和衰老的动物，而很少是睡眠状态良好的成年动物。事实上，被捕食动物睡眠时间的减少并非由于进化上的反捕食压力，而是由于与觅食相关的耗时活动以及食草动物饮食中高纤维素含量的消化，这种活动减少了每日可用于睡眠的时间。我们得出结论，对睡眠的需求低于对觅食、繁殖和反捕食活动的需求。
