Do Ants Go to Sleep?
WouterWhether you’re a ant or not, you may wonder, “do ants go to sleep?” In fact, ants are extremely active creatures. They are capable of working to bring in food and defend their nest.
But the truth is, ants do go to sleep. They do it in a series of short naps throughout the day. These naps may last as long as one minute, depending on the species.
The queen ant is the most rested caste in the colony. In fact, queens sleep up to nine hours a day. They also have longer sleeping episodes that last six minutes. The queen ant’s resting periods are designed to improve her health.
Researchers at the University of South Florida found that queens’ sleep episodes last longer than those of workers. In fact, queens were found to sleep almost twice as long as workers. This difference is a reflection of the social hierarchy of the colony.
A worker ant goes to sleep 250 times a day. In fact, the worker ants average four hours and 48 minutes of sleep per day. However, workers may take irregular intervals and may sleep as many as eight minutes per 12 hours.
During winter, some ants may go into hibernation. In fact, ants are very adept at overwintering. During this period, most insects lose their activity and energy levels. They need external heat to move around.
Some species of ants sleep in burrows, which are usually warm. In addition, most insects develop a Circadian Clock, which is a cycle of activity and rest based on the amount of sunlight.
