Do Spiders Sleep Too?!

Scientists have found that spiders may also experience a deep resting stage similar to sleep in humans. This unusual state was observed through eye movements and the curling of their legs. Australian researchers conducted experiments on Portia fimbriata jumping spiders found in the tropical forests of Queensland.

Using special infrared equipment, researchers monitored the spiders’ nighttime rest and found that it consisted of two main stages — prolonged periods of remaining still and periods involving movements of the eyes and legs. When awakening sounds were played, spiders in ordinary rest woke up quickly, while those lying with their legs curled reacted more slowly to their surroundings.

When the spiders’ nighttime rest was disrupted using flies, their subsequent sleep became longer and the duration of this stage increased significantly. Scientists say this suggests that sleep in spiders is regulated by internal mechanisms, although whether spiders actually dream has not yet been fully studied.