Animals sleep at different times of the day. Like humans, many are diurnal, most active during the day and sleeping more at night. Other animals are nocturnal. They usually sleep during the day and become active at night. And there are even some that are 'crepuscular', that is, they are more active at sunset or sunrise.
Animals also sleep in a variety of places such as forests, deserts, grasslands, and wetlands. And in them, on the land, on and in the water or in the trees.
Domestic cats and dogs sleep everywhere. A large predator like the lion sleeps wherever it wants. But many animals prefer to sleep in a hidden place where they can take refuge from rain, wind, snow, heat and protection from predators.
Orangutans: a bed for every night
Every day the orangutans build their nests. Secure structures in the forest canopy made from a collection of the branches and leaves that surround them. These great primates are considered expert engineers when it comes to building their nests.
These beds should be comfortable and flexible on the inside. They weave the base with thin green branches and place the thickest ones on the outside. Despite this laborious work, they do not sleep two nights in a row in the same place, although they can reuse nests abandoned by other orangutans.
Flamingos: balance and relaxation
Flamingos rest standing and on one leg, which they alternate almost without realizing it, while they sleep soundly. This is possible thanks to the two main joints that your leg has: the knee and the ankle. The perfect anchorage of these joints at the time of sleep allows your muscles to rest and relax without falling.
What we people consider a somewhat cumbersome yoga position, flamingos consider it the most comfortable position to sleep in.
Leopards: they sleep soundly
After a long day of hunting in which it is possible to reach more than 50 kilometers per hour, many comforts are not necessary to fall exhausted. And this is what happens to the leopard.
This big cat spends most of its day in the trees. It explores in them, carries its prey to the branches so that scavengers do not reach it and, of course, also rests these logs. A good log can be perfect for resting your food and sleeping peacefully until it's time for a new hunt.
Tigers: any place and any posture
This large predator can sleep up to 18 hours a day and does not necessarily have a fixed place to do so, as does its posture. Face up with all four legs in the air, sideways or upside down, leaning on each other and even on tree trunks.
Furthermore, in their daily lives, yawning is common, not because it is time to sleep but because with this action they provide oxygen to their body and their brain is put on alert to stay awake and continue their hunt.
Ring-tailed lemur: Better together
These small primates with long tails with black and white rings usually sleep in small groups, close to each other, a good way to keep warm in the middle of the jungle. Although it is also common to see them in the tops of palm trees. And the dry leaves that fall on its trunk and accumulate under the green ones are a perfect place to take refuge in the middle of the night. For lemurs it is an ideal bed to have sweet dreams.
