Do predators shape the sleep of their prey?

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This project aims to investigate how sleep is affected by fear/stress by studying invasive and native rat species, historically exposed to different predation pressures. It expects to generate new knowledge in biological and health sciences, also helping controlling pests. This unprecedented approach to studying sleep will provide key insights on the environmental and genetic determinants of sleep, allowing us to better understand sleep, its expression and flexibility, and response to stress. More than providing fundamental answers on the evolution of sleep, this project will provide significant benefits such as new perspectives on invasive species management, and may also reveal new targets for treatments to stress related sleep disorders.