Like us, pregnant roaches need more sleep

Biologists at the University of Cincinnati discovered that some cockroaches, like people, need more sleep when they’re pregnant. And baby cockroaches need the mom to sleep longer for proper development.

The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

“A lot of us take adequate sleep for granted because we don’t usually experience an immediate adverse effect of sleep deprivation,” said study co-author Oluwaseun Ajayi, a postdoctoral researcher in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“The truth is the health consequences of not having enough sleep build up over time. I believe this study provides additional evidence of the importance of sleep and the need for us to prioritize it like we do other things.”

Students in UC Professor Joshua Benoit’s biology lab studied the sleep habits of the Pacific beetle-mimic cockroach found in Hawaii and parts of Asia. This insect gives birth to live young. The mother cockroach feeds them milk proteins over their three-month gestation in a broodsac.

Researchers found that chronic disturbance of the mother’s sleep harmed the development of the babies by prolonging their gestation and interfering with milk production via the transcription of milk proteins.

UC graduate Ronja Frigard, the study’s lead author, said beetle-mimic cockroaches are unusual among insects.

“What makes these insects truly special is the way that they use the milk protein to nourish their young during development, the same way people use a placenta,” she said. “This is called true ‘viviparity,’ and only a few other insects such as tsetse flies reproduce this way.”

Frigard said animal models can be helpful in answering questions that might shed light on our own health.

“There are many connections between pregnancy and sleep in humans, so we're excited to learn more about it in this model insect,” Frigard said.

Other study co-authors include Benoit; UC students Gabrielle LeFevre and Lilian Ezemuoka; and Sinead English from the University of Bristol.

LeFevre, a chemistry major, said one advantage of studying at UC is the chance to participate in original research as an undergraduate. 

“It is a great opportunity that I would wholeheartedly recommend,” LeFevre said. “Not only do you get to meet and work with such amazing and inspiring people, but you also develop both personally and professionally. This is especially true in Dr. Benoit's lab, where everyone is so encouraging and collaborative. It is wonderful to be able to see discovery in action.”

Featured image at top: UC Professor Joshua Benoit and his students are studying the importance of sleep in Pacific beetle-mimic cockroaches. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand