A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Do dolphins sleep?

Best Answers

Dolphins sleep by resting half of their brain at a time. This is called unihemispheric sleep. The brain waves of captive dolphins that are sleeping show that one side of the dolphin's brain is "awake" while the other is in a deep sleep, called slow-wave sleep. read more

Unihemispheric sleep is advantageous to mother dolphins and their calves. Dolphin calves are especially vulnerable to predators such as sharks and also need to be near their mothers to nurse, so it would be dangerous for dolphin mothers and calves to fall into a full deep sleep like humans do. read more

Adult male dolphins, which generally travel in pairs, often swim slowly side by side as they sleep. Females and young travel in larger pods. They may rest in the same general area, or companionable animals may pair for sleeping while swimming. read more

Dolphins sleep with one eye open, and with half their brain wide awake, researchers have found. read more

Encyclopedia Research

Wikipedia: