15 Animals That Sleep A Lot

Like humans, animals need sleep, although the time required varies according to the species. Some animals are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night and rest during the day, while others rest at night and vice-versa.

Sleep helps an organism recover energy, relax and remain balanced, specifically in terms of an animal’s metabolism. So, if you’re wondering, ‘‘Which animals don’t sleep at all?’’ There are none. All animals need sleep, but some just need less sleep than others. The amount and timing of sleep can also depend on an animal’s age, environment and daily activity.

For more, you may be interested in reading our article where we discuss, ‘‘How do fish sleep?’’

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are herbivores that belong to the marsupial family. Koalas mostly live in trees, as they find it difficult to move on the ground.

How long does a koala sleep a day? Koalas sleep more than any other animal species, 22 hours a day to be exact. They use the leftover 2 ‘active’ hours to feed and perform additional requirements. But, why do koalas sleep so much? Koalas sleep a lot because their diet is made up predominantly of eucalyptus leaves, a low-nutrient plant which requires a lot of energy to be digested correctly. They rest for long stretches, with feeding periods breaking up the day.

Koala fun fact: koalas love eating, and can feed on up to 1 kilogram of eucalyptus leaves a day!

For more about the cute sleepy koala, we recommend reading our article where we discuss the slowest animals in the world.

Sloths are part of the suborder Folivora, and have the ability to sleep for up to 20 hours a day, which they do by hanging from trees or curling into a ball in a tree.

Sloths in captivity can sleep up to 23 hours a day, specifically because they don’t have the responsibility of finding their own food and/or shelter. Their slow-moving lifestyle is matched by a low-energy routine, with plenty of time spent resting.

Fun sloth fact: sloths only go to the toilet once a week. For more, read about these interesting facts about sloths.

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) owes its name to its tiny size of up to 10 cm in length and around 14 grams in weight. This nocturnal animal spends 20 hours a day sleeping, and has a life expectancy of 7 years. During daylight, little brown bats typically roost in sheltered places, such as tree cavities or buildings.

Little brown bat fun fact: they eat while flying.

The opossum (Didelphimorphia superfamily) is a marsupial that is characterized by having a 40 cm long tail, a robust body and an elongated snout. This sleepy animal is agile, fast and has the ability to "play dead" when threatened.

The opossum sleeps roughly 19 hours a day to recover energy. As a nocturnal animal, it usually searches for food after dark.

Opossum fun fact: opossums have 50 teeth!

The armadillo (Dasypodidae) is a mammal that is characterized by its shell and appearance, similar to that of a prehistoric rat. This sleepy animal has a pointed muzzle and small eyes, in addition to pink, brown, gray or yellowish skin. Armadillos live in hot and humid climates, such as wooded areas or grasslands.

Armadillos are capable of sleeping up to 19 hours in a row. They often rest in burrows, which also provide shelter from the heat and potential predators.

Armadillo fun fact: they have very poor eyesight, and use their strong sense of smell to hunt for food.

The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a carnivorous mammal that is characterized by its elongated body, short legs and ears, profiled nose and small eyes. Its coat can vary between white, black and silver.

This sleepy animal sleeps roughly 18 hours a day. When awake, ferrets are very active, curious, sociable and playful animals. They tend to sleep in several bouts rather than in one long stretch.

Ferret fun fact: female ferrets, if they do not mate, run the risk of producing too much estrogen, which can be fatal.

For more about ferrets, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about ferrets as pets.

The mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus) is a marsupial native to Australia. This possum dedicates roughly 18 hours a day to sleep. However, once this omnivorous animal has woken up, it feeds on nearly everything and anything it can find, including plants, leaves, fruits, insects, frogs, snakes, small birds, etc. The foods it eats can vary with what is available in its habitat.

Mountain pygmy possum fun fact: despite their very cute and fluffy appearance, they are great hunters.

The lemur (Lemuroidea superfamily) is a mammal endemic to the island of Madagascar. Lemurs belong to the family of primates and spend most of their time in trees.

Lemurs are on our list of animals that sleep the most because they can sleep up to 16 hours a day. Their sleep schedules can vary between species and may be influenced by when they search for food.

Lemur fun fact: lemurs communicate with each other by scent.

For more, read ‘‘Where do lemurs live?’’

Tigers (Panthera tigris) are one of the largest and most feared animals in the world. Not only are they great hunters, but they are at the top of the food chain in the areas they inhabit.

This mammal can sleep up to 16 hours, most of which are during the day. At night, tigers dedicate most of their time to hunting and finding a partner. The latter is done only during the mating season. After a successful hunt, a tiger may rest to recover before becoming active again.

Tiger fun fact: there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild.

For more about these amazing animals that sleep a lot, we recommend reading our article where we list all types of tigers around the world.

The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is one of the most famous pets in the world. In addition to its fluffy fur and interesting character, cats are known for their love of sleep.

A common domestic cat can sleep 16 hours a day. Cats spend the rest of their time active, eating, playing and cuddling. They often spread their sleep across several periods throughout the day and night.

Cat fun fact: cats cannot taste sweet things.

Shrews (subfamily Soricidae) are mammals that feed on insects and small invertebrates. Shrews measure between 5 and 8 cm and are characterized by having a pointed snout, small eyes, short fur and a very long tail.

Shrews sleep roughly 16 hours a day and have a life expectancy of 4 years. Their high energy needs mean that they must feed frequently during their waking hours.

Shrew fun fact: despite being mammals, some shrew species are venomous.

Tree shrews are small mammals native to the Asian continent. Tree shrews feed mainly on insects, such as ants, grasshoppers, butterflies, etc. They typically search for food among vegetation and on the forest floor.

These sleepy animals can sleep up to 15 hours a day.

Tree shrew fun fact: tree shrews are very territorial, and can even fight with each other when they feel threatened.

Squirrels (subfamily Ratufinae) are rodents that can be found all over the world. Squirrels live in trees, except for ground squirrels, which dig burrows into the ground.

Squirrels are considered animals that sleep a lot, as they can spend up to 14 hours resting. In their active hours, they spend their time finding food and changing shelters. Their resting habits can vary with the season and the need to find food.

Squirrel fun fact: squirrels are born blind.

Lions (Panthera leo), in addition to being carnivorous, sleep a lot!

While female lions take care of the young and hunt for food, male lions sleep for roughly 13 to 20 hours a day. When awake, they spend their time feeding, mating or protecting their pride from other lions. Like other large predators, they can rest for long periods between active bouts.

Lion fun fact: all lion cubs are born with blue eyes.

Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) also take up a space on this list of animals that sleep a lot. While it is true that they remain awake and alert to any threat, dogs need roughly 13 hours a day of sleep. This time is distributed in periods of roughly 8 or 9 hours during the night, with naps during the morning hours. Puppies and older dogs may need more rest than healthy adults.

Not only are there animals that sleep a lot, there are also many species that don’t sleep a lot. Animals that sleep the least include:

Giraffe

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is one of the most beautiful and impressive mammals in the world. Did you know that a giraffe only sleeps 2 hours a day at 10-minute intervals? Short periods of rest allow it to remain alert to its surroundings.

Elephant

Elephants (family Elephantidae), also known as the largest land mammals in the world, are native to the Asian and African continents. Elephants can eat up to 200 kilograms of food a day, and they only sleep between 3 and 4 hours.

Cow

Cows (family Bovidae) are ruminants and only sleep for 4 hours a day. The quality of a cow’s sleep has a direct impact on the quality of its milk.

Horse

Horses (Equus ferus caballus) spend most of their time on their feet; in fact, horses are animals that sleep standing up. In addition, like humans, horses are able to dream. In total, they sleep 3 hours a day.

Goat

Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) are also an important member of our list of animals that sleep the least, as they sleep a maximum of 5 hours a day. The rest of a goat’s time is spent grazing and playing with goat friends, as they are very sociable animals.

If you want to read similar articles to 15 Animals That Sleep A Lot, we recommend you visit our Facts about the animal kingdom category.