Question

Does increasing the air temperature of fact the average number of hours a mouse sleeps per day?

Answer 1

Answer:

Hmmm... I'm no Expert when it comes to this, but I think it's safe to say yes.

Explanation:

From what I know, Mice and humans have around the same average body temperatures (Since we are both warm-blooded mammals).

One key difference between mice and humans when it comes to heat regulation is the topic of homeostasis and heat regulation.

Based on a study posted on FebsPress, "At ambient environmental temperature (~ 22 °C), over one‐third of energy expenditure in mice is devoted to maintaining core body temperature, largely by brown adipose tissue. To conserve this energy, mice can enter a regulated hypothermia, while humans do not." (Marc L. Reitman).

Since mice are so small, they have to work harder than a human or any larger mammal to maintain heat. This is also why they need to eat so much every day (to maintain a constant metabolic rate without starving themselves).

Now back to the key topic, "will air temperature affect the average number of hours a mouse sleeps per day?"

It is true that in humans, very low temperatures and very high temperatures can affect the sleep cycle because the body then has to exert more energy to maintain a comfortable internal body temperature.

Now, think back to what I said regarding the size of a mouse and what that means for it's metabolic rate.

This means, that too low/high air temperatures -- are likely to awaken the mouse or simply kill it. As one of the human body's goals is to maintain homeostasis, this goal is also evident in that of a mouse's body.

So, for the mouse to keep a consistent bodily temperature, it wouldn't sleep as long as a human, as mice have to eat at around their own body weight each day.

Note: Sorry for the length of this. I'd meant to keep it short and sweet but got caught up with the research. Haha.

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