How do animals sleep? What are the sleeping habits of different species?

Habitat, cold- and warm-blooded anatomy, brain size, feeding patterns and many other factors contribute to an animal’s sleeping patterns.

As a general rule, genetically similar species will have similar sleeping habits. Therefore, we will divide the animals into groups to talk about in this article.

Do all animals sleep?

It is not known whether all animals need sleep, but sleep is one of the essentials for most species, for them to function properly. The brain’s metabolism – or the chemical processes needed to keep the body functioning – depends on sleep to recharge. This process is relatively similar in all animals.

Without sleep, the brain can become overloaded and stop working. The longest recorded period of sobriety for a person was 264 hours (approximately 11 days). Hallucinations, memory loss, and mood swings are reported side effects of prolonged sleep deprivation, but all are temporary.

In the animal kingdom, sleep is more complicated. Because most animals are most vulnerable while sleeping.

Which animal sleeps the most?

Sleep duration can range from a few hours to almost 24 hours in the animal kingdom. Here are some of the animals that sleep the most on average:

• Brown Bat: 20 hours per day
• Lion: 19 hours a day

• Giant Armadillo: 18 hours per day

• North American Opossum: 18 hours per day

• Tiger: 18 hours per day

• Cats: 14 hours a day

• Dogs: 13 hours per day

The amount of sleep of each species depends on their habitat, but wild dogs will sleep much less than domestic dogs. A bear in the wild will have different sleeping habits than one in a zoo.

Sleeping habits of mammals and birds

Many mammals and birds possess a special sleep pattern called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Animals such as dogs, primates, and humans also experience REM sleep. This is the deepest stage of mammalian sleep and is the resting stage of the night where dreams occur.

One reason mammals need REM sleep is to keep the skull and brain warm. In turn, this keeps normal bodily functions and regenerative processes running smoothly. Metabolism and food absorption are among the functions that benefit from REM sleep.

Without REM sleep, most mammals would probably die, as the body would essentially shut down. For some animals, like owls, this varies with age. Owls will spend almost 50% of their sleep time in REM, while adults will spend almost 25%.

However, not all mammals need REM sleep – bears and other hibernation animals don’t go through this phase at all. When in winter hibernation, the animal’s metabolism occurs 20 times slower than when awake. Hibernating animals typically have a body temperature that is only one degree Celsius higher than the air around them. This means that during the winter months, hibernating animals will sleep at a much deeper level than REM in order to save money. energy saving.

Sleeping habits of sea creatures

Sea creatures have very different sleeping patterns than terrestrial and airborne animals. For example, whales drift vertically with half of their brain awake during sleep. Whales only sleep for up to 10 minutes at a time.

On the other hand, when dolphins sleep, they will lie almost completely still and slowly breathe air. To do this, they also slept with one side of the brain still active.

Almost all sharks sleep in the same way as dolphins. However, nurse sharks are an exception and can sleep completely on the ocean floor.

Fish also regularly sleep and wake up – both to avoid predators and to properly filter oxygen.

Sleep habits of amphibians

Not much research has been done on the sleeping habits of amphibians. It is not fully known whether frogs sleep. They have been observed sitting still and with their eyes closed while sitting on the foliage – believed to be their dormant state, but researchers are still uncertain about this.

However, some newt species can sleep deeply. In hot climates, some of these amphibians will dig deep holes in the ground to lie still. This way, they can find the right humidity and avoid predators for hours at a time.

Similarly, tiger salamanders dig deep into the ground and spend most of their time here, both awake and asleep. However, the main difference of these animals is that they are nocturnal. This means that during the day they will go into a deep sleep and emerge at sunset for a brief hunt.

Reptile sleeping habits

Depending on the species, reptiles have different sleeping habits. For example, snakes don’t have eyelids – meaning they can’t close their eyes to sleep. Instead, they will lie still and open their eyes, while brain functions slow down and the whole body rests.

Crocodiles also sleep with half a brain. Unlike other species lower in the food chain, the main reason crocodiles sleep this way is to be alert to nearby prey. During sleep, they open one eye (which is connected to the “wake” part of the brain).

Insect sleeping habits

Most insects sleep – in fact, they are very similar to humans. For example, bees will nap.

Fruit flies also sleep. Similar to humans, they react to sleep-altering chemicals like caffeine. Although it is not known whether insects achieve REM sleep, fruit flies regenerate and repair important mechanical damage during sleep.

Cockroaches keep their eyes open during sleep because they (and many other insects) don’t have eyelids. However, they will fold their antennae down to protect vital organs and vulnerable areas while they sleep.