How do Different Animals Sleep?

How do Different Animals Sleep?

by Liz Huyck

How do Different Animals Sleep?

From tiny ants to giant whales, all animals sleep. Some sleep a little. Some sleep a lot. And some have come up with some unusual ways to get their zzzz's.

Multiple Choice

How does the heading support the main idea?

• all animals sleep uniquely

• pandas are the biggest sleeper

• tiny ants sleep too

Big Sleepers

Koalas are marsupials (mammals with a pouch, like kangaroos) that live in Australia. They eat only the leaves of eucalyptus trees. These leaves are hard to digest and don't give much energy. So to save their strength, koalas spend most of the day (and night) napping and digesting. They may sleep 18 to 22 hours a day, waking up for short periods to eat leaves. Yawn! Enough talking. Time to sleep!

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the main idea?

• eucalyptus leaves are hard to digest

• Koalas are marsupials

• all animals sleep

• some animals sleep a little

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements accurately describes what Koalas spend most of their time doing?

• eating and hunting

• playing and swimming

• napping and digesting

Multiple Choice

Cause and Effect: If the cause is "These leaves are hard to digest and don't give much energy." Which statement best describes the effect?

• "They eat only the leaves of eucalyptus trees."

• "So to save their strength, koalas spend most of the day (and night) napping and digesting"

• "Koalas are marsupials (mammals with a pouch, like kangaroos) that live in Australia."

Predators, such as lions and wolves, tend to sleep more than their prey. They also spend more time dreaming, although scientists don't know why. When not hunting, a lion mostly lazes about, plays and sleeps. Even asleep on the ground, a lion can feel safe. After all, who is going to pester a sleeping lion?

Multiple Choice

What does a lion do when it is not sleeping?

• lazes and plays

• travels environments

• cleans it's home

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of the text?

• prey animals sleep the longest

• insects, birds, and fish do not sleep

• predators sleep more than their prey

Multiple Choice

"When not hunting, a lion mostly lazes about, plays and sleeps." Which statement best describes lazes?

• spend time in a relaxed lazy manner

• spend time actively moving

• spend time preparing for food

Light Sleepers

Giraffes don't get very much sleep — only a few hours a day. For giraffes, sleeping is awkward and leaves them vulnerable to predators. So giraffes mostly take short naps while standing up. But they do need to lie down for half an hour or so of deep, dreaming sleep. It can take a whole minute for a giraffe to get back up on its long legs again.

Giraffe sleeping standing up under a tree.

Multiple Choice

How does the heading support the main idea of the text?

• all animals are light sleepers

• giraffes are light sleepers

• lions are heavy sleepers

Multiple Choice

"For giraffes, sleeping is awkward and leaves them vulnerable to predators." Which statement best describes vulnerable?

• not interesting

• tasteful

• open to being hurt

Multiple Choice

Cause and effect: The cause is "For giraffes, sleeping is awkward and leaves them vulnerable to predators." Which statement best describes the effect?

• giraffes mostly take short naps while standing up.

• giraffes hide to sleep

• giraffes don't sleep

Like giraffes, horses nap standing up, so they're ready to run away. They don't topple over while sleeping because their legs lock in place. Horses do need to lie down for about 20 minutes to get some deep sleep. When the herd lies down, one horse stays awake to keep watch.

Horse sleeping standing up

Multiple Choice

"When the herd lies down, one horse stays awake to keep watch." Which statement best describes herd?

• the predator animal

• a large group of animals

• the prey animal

Multiple Choice

When can horses lie down?

• when they are alone

• when one horse can stay up and watch

• after they eat

Multiple Choice

Compare and contrast: How are horses like giraffes according to the text?

• horses have a short neck giraffes don't

• they both sleep standing up

• horses legs lock into place too

A Comfy Bed

Most animals like to find a safe, comfy place to sleep. Some hide in burrows or dig dens. Gorillas make themselves sleeping nests of branches and leaves on the ground or in a tree. Every gorilla makes a fresh new nest every night, even if they haven't moved far from the one they used the night before.

Multiple Choice

"Some hide in burrows or dig dens." Which statement best describes burrows?

• a hole or tunnel

• blankets and material

• houses or shelter

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true about gorillas beds?

• gorillas sleep standing up

• gorillas do not sleep

• gorillas make new beds every night

Multiple Choice

What can we learn from the heading?

• most animals like a safe comfy bed

• animals cannot have comfy beds in wild

• animals cannot get beds like us

Birds don't sleep in nests — those are just for raising chicks. At night, a bird finds a safe roost on a ledge or tree branch and tucks its head under its wing. The bird's claws lock shut around the branch, so it doesn't fall off as it slumbers.

Bird slumbering

Multiple Choice

"a bird finds a safe roost on a ledge or tree branch and tucks its head under its wing." Which statement best describes roost?

• pond or lake

• a big bird

• a place where birds settle

Multiple Choice

How do birds and gorillas use nests differently?

• birds use nests to sleep like gorillas

• birds only use nest to raise chicks

• gorillas use nests to raise chimps

Multiple Choice

How does the image support the main idea of the text?

• it shows how birds sleep

• it shows the bright colors of birds

• it shows how birds make friends

Fish don't have eyelids, so they always look awake. But they sleep, too. Parrotfish live in coral reefs. At night, they blow out streams of mucus to make a slimy sleeping bag. This protects them from sea lice and other small biting pests that like to nibble on snoozing fish.

Multiple Choice

Why do fish make a sleeping bag according to the text?

• to keep away from sea lice

• it is comfortable

• to keep warm

Multiple Choice

What do Parrotfish sleep on or in?

• a nest

• bush of seaweed

• mucus sleeping bag

Multiple Choice

Which of the following facial features do fish not have?

• mouth

• eye lids

• eye balls

Half-Asleep

Dolphins are air-breathing mammals that swim in the sea. But how do they sleep? If they stop swimming to take a nap, won't they sink and drown? Scientists studying seals and dolphins have discovered a surprising answer — these animals can sleep with one half of their brain while the other half stays awake! While the right half of the dolphin's brain is asleep, the left half stays awake enough to flap one flipper. This lets the dolphin keep its nose above the water so it can breathe. After about 20 minutes, the sides switch, allowing the other half of the dolphin's brain to sleep.

Multiple Choice

What kind of mammal is a dolphin?

• marsupial

• water-breathing

• air-breathing

Multiple Choice

How do dolphins sleep?

• they sleep with one half brain awake and the other sleeps

• they float to the top of water and sleep

• they sink to the sea floor and sleep

Some far-traveling ocean birds can rest half of their brains at a time while the other half keeps flying. Arctic terns use this trick when they fly nonstop from Canada to Antarctica. Albatrosses and frigate birds have another trick. They snatch tiny half-minute naps as they glide on air currents over the ocean. Flap, nap, flap, nap. They don't get much sleep this way — when they land, they sleep a lot to make up for it.

Multiple Choice

"They snatch tiny half-minute naps as they glide on air currents over the ocean." Which statement best describes air currents?

• air moving from high pressure to low pressure

• wind flowing

• air moving in circles

Multiple Choice

What is another trick Albatrosses and frigate birds have?

• they never need sleep

• they can take half minute naps while flying

• they can breathe under water

Multiple Choice

What skill do dolphins and some ocean birds have in common?

• they both do not sleep

• they live near the ocean

• they can rest half of their brain

Many animals don't do all their sleeping at once. They nap throughout the day. When ducks nap in a row, the ones at either end rest only half their brain and keep one eye open. If anything alarms these guard ducks, they quack, rousing the other ducks to seek safety. A guard duck occasionally turns around and faces the other way to rest the other half of its brain.

Multiple Choice

How can ducks take naps without being harmed?

• they nap in hiding

• they have a guard duck

• they have no protection

Multiple Choice

Compare and Contrast: What does the duck have in common with the dolphin and ocean birds?

• they all live in water

• they all can rest half of their brain

• they all lay eggs

Do Bugs Sleep?

Bugs don't sleep in the same way we do. But they do have periods of rest every day. Dragonflies often have a favorite spot that they return to time after time to rest.

Multiple Choice

How does the heading support the main idea of the text?

• the main idea is bugs do not sleep like others

• the main idea is all about sleep

• the main idea is about bug predators

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a favorite spot to return to rest?

• a ladybug

• a butterfly

• a dragonfly

Multiple Choice

Do bugs sleep?

• they never rest

• they do sleep

• they have periods of rest

Do Animals Dream?

If you watch a cat or dog sleeping, you might see them flick an ear or grunt or twitch while sound asleep. And yes, they likely are dreaming. Scientists think that all mammals and birds dream, but fish, reptiles and insects don't. By looking at the brain patterns of sleeping animals, they think animals dream about chasing, pouncing and finding their way home — rehearsing important skills.

Multiple Choice

What do scientists think animals dream about?

• nothing, no dreams

• food and snacks

• rehearsing important skills

Multiple Choice

Which statement summarizes the paragraph?

• Scientists who study animals have found that mammals and birds dream while they sleep.

• Scientists who study animals are not sure what cats and dogs dream about.

• Scientists who study animals have found that fish and reptiles dream more than people do.

• Scientists who study animals want to do more work to find out about animal dreams.

Multiple Select

Which words are synonyms for the word sleep. Choose all that apply

• zzzzzzzz

• alert

• snooze

• slumber

Multiple Select

Which TWO statements are MAIN ideas from the article? (select 2)

• From tiny ants to giant whales, all animals sleep.

• And some have come up with some unusual ways to get their zzzz's.

• These leaves are hard to digest and don't give much energy.

• Even asleep on the ground, a lion can feel safe

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose of the text?

• entertain

• persuade

• inform