Researchers at the University of Michigan have uncovered fascinating insights into mice’s and humans’ sleep behavior, particularly focusing on the effects of sharing a sleeping space.
The study, led by Ada Eban-Rothschild, observed the sleep patterns of mice in a social context, providing clues about human sleep behaviors as well.
In their research, published in Current Biology, the team noticed that mice actively seek physical contact before falling asleep and prefer to cuddle during their sleep.
This behavior, which they termed “somatolonging,” reflects an innate desire for prolonged physical contact. This need for close contact was particularly noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people experienced a lack of physical connection.
However, sleeping together is not without its downsides. In mice, cuddling often led to disruptions in each other’s sleep. This observation has parallels in human sleep behavior, where sharing a bed can sometimes negatively impact sleep quality.
Insomnia, for instance, can be passed between bed partners. Despite this, humans and animals often choose to sleep together, even if it means compromising sleep quality. The exact reasons for this preference remain unclear to researchers.
The study used advanced wireless devices and video recordings to simultaneously monitor the sleep of multiple mice over 24 hours.
It was observed that mice were willing to abandon their preferred sleeping spots for the sake of social contact, highlighting the strong drive for physical closeness.
Another key finding was the synchronization in various neurophysiological aspects among those sleeping together. This included the timing of falling asleep and waking up, as well as sleep intensity.
Interestingly, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was synchronized among co-sleeping male siblings but not among female siblings or unfamiliar mice.
This indicates that an individual’s sense of safety and familiarity might influence the level of synchronization in sleep patterns.
The study sheds light on the complex dynamics of co-sleeping and its implications for sleep quality.
While the desire for physical contact during sleep is a natural behavior observed in both humans and animals, it comes with the trade-off of potential sleep disturbances.
Understanding these dynamics can help in better comprehending human sleep behaviors and developing strategies to improve sleep quality, particularly for those who share their sleeping spaces.
If you care about sleep, please read studies about herb that could help you sleep well at night, and these drugs could lower severity of sleep apnea by one third.
For more information about sleep, please see recent studies that coffee boosts your physical activity, cuts sleep, affects heartbeat, and results showing how to deal with “COVID-somnia” and sleep well at night.
The research findings can be found in Current Biology.
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