Even though patterns vary widely among species, sleep appears to be a requirement for most animals. It has been observed in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and some fish as well as insects and even simpler organisms, such as nematodes.To see how the ones closest to us get their rest, we at Bored Panda invite you to take a look at the appropriately titled subreddit ‘Animals Being Sleepy.‘Created back in 2018, it now has 42.5K members who are constantly sharing footage of our adorable friends giving in to their peaceful slumber. Enjoy!This post may includeaffiliate links.
Even though patterns vary widely among species, sleep appears to be a requirement for most animals. It has been observed in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and some fish as well as insects and even simpler organisms, such as nematodes.
To see how the ones closest to us get their rest, we at Bored Panda invite you to take a look at the appropriately titled subreddit ‘Animals Being Sleepy.’
Created back in 2018, it now has 42.5K members who are constantly sharing footage of our adorable friends giving in to their peaceful slumber. Enjoy!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Mammals, who are the main stars of this list, sleepto restore their mental and physical energy. The amount that they need depends on several factors, including age, body size, environment, diet, and the safety of their resting spot. Whether a mammal lives on land or in the sea can also affect how much sleep it needs.Moreover, different mammals also spend varying amounts of time in non-REM and REM sleep. However, all of them studied thus far do exhibit signs of REM sleep,suggestingthat mammals dream just like humans do!
Mammals, who are the main stars of this list, sleepto restore their mental and physical energy. The amount that they need depends on several factors, including age, body size, environment, diet, and the safety of their resting spot. Whether a mammal lives on land or in the sea can also affect how much sleep it needs.
Moreover, different mammals also spend varying amounts of time in non-REM and REM sleep. However, all of them studied thus far do exhibit signs of REM sleep,suggestingthat mammals dream just like humans do!
Mammalian sleepis often categorizedas monophasic or polyphasic.
The former describes animals who generally receive their sleep in one concentrated period of time. Humans are an example of monophasic sleepers — our circadian rhythms encourage us to sleep for extended periods at night and be active and alert during the day.
Interestingly, birds sleep unihemispherically, with one side of the brain dozing off while the other stays awake. As they sleep, only the eye associated with the sleeping hemisphere of their brain is closed. Unihemispheric sleep allows them to protect themselves from predators. For example, mallard ducks can sleep in a row, and those at the end will be most likely to sleep unihemispherically, with their outward eye remaining open, while ducks in the middle sleep with both eyes closed.
Unihemispheric sleep also enables migratory birds to make their long flights. These animals may sleep while gliding, when their wings don’t need to flap as much. Birds, like the Alpine swift, have been documented flying for up to 200 days non-stop
So thank you, ‘Animals Being Sleepy,’ for sharing them with us!
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Indrė Lukošiūtė
Animals
