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Urban noise restricts, fragments, and lightens sleep in Australian magpies
journal contribution
posted on 19.05.2022, 06:55 authored by Farley Connelly, Robin JohnssonRobin Johnsson, Anne AulsebrookAnne Aulsebrook, RA Mulder, ML Hall, AL Vyssotski, John LeskuJohn LeskuUrban areas are inherently noisy, and this noise can disrupt biological processes as diverse as communication, migration, and reproduction. We investigated how exposure to urban noise affects sleep, a process critical to optimal biological functioning, in Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen). Eight magpies experimentally exposed to noise in captivity for 24-h spent more time awake, and less time in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) and REM sleep at night than under quiet conditions. Sleep was also fragmented, with more frequent interruptions by wakefulness, shorter sleep episode durations, and less intense non-REM sleep. REM sleep was particularly sensitive to urban noise. Following exposure to noise, magpies recovered lost sleep by engaging in more, and more intense, non-REM sleep. In contrast, REM sleep showed no rebound. This might indicate a long-term cost to REM sleep loss mediated by noise, or contest hypotheses regarding the functional value of this state. Overall, urban noise has extensive, disruptive impacts on sleep composition, architecture, and intensity in magpies. Future work should consider whether noise-induced sleep restriction and fragmentation have long-term consequences.
Funding
This project was supported by the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment and the Ecological Society of Australia. This study was also funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project grant (DP170101003) to J.A.L.
History
Publication Date
01/01/2020Journal
Environmental PollutionVolume
267Article Number
115484Pagination
11p. (p. 1-11)Publisher
ElsevierISSN
0269-7491Rights Statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Publisher DOI
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Categories
Keywords
Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineEnvironmental SciencesEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyAnthropogenic noiseElectroencephalogramPollutionREM sleepSleep homeostasisSlow wave sleepROAD TRAFFIC NOISEENVIRONMENTAL NOISEAIRCRAFT NOISEEXPOSUREPERFORMANCEPHYSIOLOGYFITNESSSYSTEMSHEALTHSTATESAustraliaNoiseSleepSleep, REMWakefulness