A couple of sleep facts from the animal kingdom
1) Sea Otters wrap themselves in kelp and hold hands when they sleep to stop themselves drifting apart. They also spend around 3 hours each day grooming themselves, hang out in large groups called “rafts” and the baby otter uses the mothers stomach as a crib until it is old enough to float on its own. (image source)
2) We have all heard the term “sleep with one eye open”. Studies on sleeping mallard ducks have shown that some birds are literally half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere alert and the other snoozing— they can even control which side of the brain remains awake. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere droops shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and vigilant, keeping an eye out for predators. Whales, seals and dolphins are thought to sleep similarly as well. (image source)
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