Visualizing 40 Different Animal Sleep Patterns
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Visualizing 40 Different Animal Sleep Patterns
Every animal has to rest in some way, but some animals need a lot more sleep than others.
This graphic by Giulia De Amicis uses data from startsleeping.com to show the typical sleeping patterns of 40 different animals, highlighting their average sleep times, and what percentage of each 24-hour day they spend resting.
Compared to the rest of the animals featured in the graphic, humans need a relatively small amount of sleep. We sleep for an average of eight hours—or 33% of our day.
| Animal | Average Sleep Time (hrs/day) | Average Sleep Time (% of 24 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Koala | 21-22 | 87.5% |
| Brown Bat | 19.9 | 82.9% |
| Giant Armadillo | 18.1 | 75.4% |
| Opossum | 18.0 | 75.0% |
| Python | 18.0 | 75.0% |
| Owl Monkey | 17.0 | 70.8% |
| Human (Infant) | 16.0 | 66.7% |
| Tiger | 15.8 | 65.8% |
| Tree Shrew | 15.8 | 65.8% |
| Squirrel | 14.9 | 62.0% |
| Western Toad | 14.6 | 60.8% |
| Ferret | 14.5 | 60.4% |
| Three-toed Sloth | 14.4 | 60.0% |
| Golden Hamster | 14.3 | 59.6% |
| Platypus | 14.0 | 58.3% |
| Lion | 13.5 | 56.3% |
| Gerbil | 13.1 | 54.4% |
| Rat | 12.6 | 52.4% |
| Cat | 12.1 | 50.6% |
| Cheetah | 12.1 | 50.6% |
| Mouse | 12.0 | 50.3% |
| Rhesus Monkey | 11.8 | 49.2% |
| Rabbit | 11.4 | 47.5% |
| Jaguar | 10.8 | 45.0% |
| Duck | 10.8 | 45.0% |
| Dog | 10.6 | 44.3% |
| Bottle-nose Dolphin | 10.4 | 43.3% |
| Star-nosed Mole | 10.3 | 42.9% |
| Baboon | 10.3 | 42.9% |
| European Hedgehog | 10.1 | 42.2% |
| Squirrel Monkey | 9.9 | 41.3% |
| Chimpanzee | 9.7 | 40.4% |
| Guinea Pig | 9.4 | 39.2% |
| Human (Adult) | 8.0 | 33.3% |
| Pig | 7.8 | 32.6% |
| Guppy (Fish) | 7.0 | 29.1% |
| Gray Seal | 6.2 | 25.8% |
| Goat | 5.3 | 22.1% |
| Giraffe | 4.6 | 19.0% |
| Cow | 3.9 | 16.4% |
| Asiatic Elephant | 3.9 | 16.4% |
| Sheep | 3.8 | 16.0% |
| Donkey | 3.1 | 13.0% |
| Horse | 2.9 | 12.0% |
| African Elephant | 2.0 | 8.3% |
In contrast, Koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day, or 87.5% of the day. This is mostly because of the Koala’s diet—Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic and take a lot of energy to digest.
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