BobRingReflections

I often see birds doing their high-energy thing in trees outside my home office windows, and have wondered about what they do at night.  Do they “sleep?”  I did a little research, and turned up some fascinating (to me) information about how birds sleep.  My curiosity led me to a quick check on sleep habits of other animals, found similarly fascinating info, and decided to research and write this blog on “How Animals Sleep.”   I will start with an introduction to sleep in animals, then discuss why animals sleep, why animals sleep differently, typical animal sleep patterns, and when animals sleep.   Next, I’ll explore how different animal groups sleep, including mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians, and invertebrates - with examples of different animal behaviors in each group.   Finally, I’ll discuss what researchers think about potential animal dreaming and sleep disorders.   My principal sources include “Sleep in animals,” Wikipedia.org; “A Guide to How Animals Sleep,” slee