


However, unlike other fish species, they do not have an operculum. The reason has to do with respiration.Īs a fish, the shark has gills to breathe oxygen. Unlike the previous animals on the list, they do not do this because of predation by other animals. As with many other shark species, the great white shark sleeps while moving. The first on our list of animals that don't sleep much which lives in water is the great white shark. Great white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias) Here we present to you 12 of the most fascinating and provide some further information on their sleeping habits.ĥ. What we do know for sure is that there are many animals which sleep very little. We are also still discovering animal species every day, so it is possible there are animals that don't sleep, but we have not yet found them. However, there are still doubts over certain animal species such as sea sponges or plankton. Even insects have been shown to have periods of relative inactivity which can be defined as some type of sleep.įor this reason, it is unlikely there are no animals which do not sleep at all, especially complex multicellular organisms. However, various studies have shown many animals enter some form of REM sleep, even if they have different states of consciousness. This is because we compare it to human consciousness and the necessity for REM sleep. Some people associate dreaming with sleep, but the extent to which animals dream is one which is not fully understood by science. This can be problematic when trying to sleep, something nature has accounted for in ingenious ways. Not all animals which live in water breathe through gills, but they need to rest regardless. Inclement weather, extreme temperatures and even finding a comfortable place to rest can make sleeping difficult. This is a behavior which most domestic animals still display. This is why many wild animals will sleep for short periods rather than one long sleep common to human sleeping patterns. The problem with wild animals is that sleep makes them very vulnerable to predators and environmental dangers. They have the security provided by their guardians and a controlled ecosystem which is conducive to sleep. Possibility of adopting comfortable sleeping positions.įor the above reasons, most companion animals are better able to sleep than their wild counterparts.Type of ecosystem a species inhabits, including its temperature.This is because they are affected by various other factors, including: However, they cannot necessarily sleep in the same way as humans. įor animals, similar processes are taking place in terms of metabolism and neurobehavior. In human beings, sleep “serves critical roles in brain functions including neurobehavioral, cognitive and safety-related performance”, as well as being “critically involved in systemic physiology” such as apetite regulation and metabolism. Sleep can generally be defined as a period of relatively inactivity which is different from wakefulness, i.e. Whether this means they don't sleep is a question of definition. Before meeting the animals which sleep the least, it's important we answer the question the title of this article poses: are there animals that don't sleep? While it may seem like some animals don't need rest, there are none that don't need to restore their energy through periods of inactivity.
