12 Animals That Barely Sleep

Sleep is essential to get enough rest and recharge after everyday activities. However, these animals on the list don’t seem to have a regular sleeping pattern and don’t mind at all if they only get a couple of hours of sleep a day. It won’t stop them from doing what needs to be done in order to survive. So, do you know which of the world’s animals barely get any sleep? Read on to find out.

12. Ostrich

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A quirky habit that an ostrich has is slumbering and staying alert at the same time without ever shutting either of its eyes. When they feel the need to take a nap, they bring their head down for up to 15 minutes at a time. In the course of a day, the average ostrich gets about 6 hours of sleep.

11. Walrus

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These amazing animals can go without dropping an eyelid for up to 84 hours straight. Their busy schedule focuses on exploring the oceans in order to look for sources of food. Once they give in to sleep, they can slumber for up to 19 hours.

10. Goat

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These animals remain alert most of the time. Even at the slightest movement, goats will awaken from the deepest of sleep. Because of this, they only give in to sleep for around 5-6 hours.

9. Elephant

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During the day, these majestic giants are able to take 15 minute naps while standing. When they’re tired from their daily activities, elephants fall into a deep sleep for 4-6 hours during nighttime.

8. Sheep

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Fluffy as they may seem, sheep only get around 4-5 hours of sleep a day. This makes us wonder, how do they spend the rest of their time while we try to get some sleep by counting sheep at night?

7. Cow

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Their sleeping pattern can be classified as intermittent short naps during the day and at least an hour of deep sleep, making it a total of 4 hours a day. Cows can stay alert even during night time if they sense danger.

6. Donkey

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Since donkeys are often used for transport, they move around a lot and get through the day by sleeping a total of just 3 hours. They are light sleepers, so don’t expect them to fall into REM sleep.

5. Roe Deer

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These animals only get about 3 hours of sleep a day. This is because roe deer stay alert most of the time to gather food and explore their surroundings.

4. Horse

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These animals have the amazing ability to take naps while standing on their legs. These 15 minute naps are taken during the course of the day. Since they can’t stand on all four legs the entire time, horses take time to rest by going into a deep sleep on the ground. Horses get a total of 2 and a half hours of sleep.

3. Giraffe

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Have you ever noticed that it’s rare to see a picture of a giraffe sleeping? That’s because throughout the day, they only get around 2 hours of sleep. Giraffes only take five-minute naps at a time and all of these short-lived naps add up. Imagine the endurance of their feet that keep them standing!

2. Dolphin & Killer Whale

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Female dolphins and mother killer whales take parenting seriously because their offspring don’t sleep at all for the first 30 days. This may sound crazy but these little swimmers are full of energy and love exploring their environment.

1. Shark

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At the top of the list, this mysterious creature hibernates or goes into idle mode as it drifts into a light sleep. The main reason sharks don’t fall into a deep sleep is because when sharks breathe, water passes through their gills and this requires the body to work.