Insects also sleep

2002/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Zoologia

Sleep research has been done in mammals, especially in humans. In addition, scientists rely on electroencephalogram models to define sleep. But most invertebrates cannot use this method, so many researchers question sleep. In several studies it appeared that cockroach, scorpion, bee and vinaigrette fly apparently slept, but there was no clear evidence.

Now, a researcher at the University of Arizona, in the US, claims that the Polistes flavus wasp sleeps. According to him, these wasps remain inactive all night, every night. And, by breathing less in that time, you have seen that the temperature of the muscles decreases and that the metabolism decreases thanks to the infrared.

Other wasps of the same genus behave the same. Therefore, it may be thought that other insects and invertebrates also sleep. Moreover, in invertebrates sleep would perform the same functions as in vertebrates, that is, it sleeps to fix memory, increase the ability to learn, repair tissues and store energy.