How Animals Sleep

How Animals Sleep

Introduction Almost all animals need to sleep to stay healthy. But sleeping can be dangerous. Other animals may hunt sleeping animals. Animals have many different ways of sleeping that help them stay safe. Some of these ways may surprise you!

Sleeping Upside Down Almost all bats sleep upside down. They hang by their toes from a branch or from the ceiling of a cave. Up high, bats are safe from most other animals. If they are in danger, they just fly away.

Sleeping the Most and the Least Little brown bats win the prize for sleeping the most. They sleep as much as nineteen hours a day. These bats are only awake for a few hours after the Sun goes down. They may get up again for a little while before the Sun rises. The rest of the time is for sleep, sleep, sleep!

Giraffes win the prize for sleeping the least. They lie down when they sleep. They rest their heads on their bodies or on the ground. Every few hours, they sleep for about ten minutes. Giraffes are not safe if they sleep for long periods.

Sleeping with Half the Brain A dolphin sleeps with just half its brain at a time. It must stay awake to breathe and to watch for danger. Dolphin mothers and babies can go without sleep for as long as two months to stay safe.