Do Spiders Go to Sleep?
WouterIf you were to ask a spider, “Do spiders go to sleep?”, you would probably get a pretty funny answer. Although spiders do have a nocturnal slumber time, they don’t sleep in a traditional sense. They don’t close their eyes or swallow. In fact, you can inhale the dust from a spider’s body.
Unlike humans, who need sleep to recharge, spiders sleep to conserve energy. This is done through an intricate cycle of activities. Some of these activities include spinning a web and catching prey. When they are not working, these spiders are in a slow-wave sleep phase. This is the most efficient way to conserve energy.
There are many different kinds of spiders. Some are active throughout the day, while others are nocturnal. These include the wolf spider, which waits in a burrow for prey.
Another example is the jumping spider. These show off to potential mates with a dangling dormant silk strand. It is a clever way to get attention.
The Australian redback spider, however, goes six months without food. It may have the best night time display, but it doesn’t have the happiest of sleeps.
Despite their arachnophobia, most spiders are not unfriendly. They are pretty savvy hunters. They will often seek out dark and secluded areas to avoid being eaten by daytime predators. They also avoid human interaction.
Spiders have many different nerves. This is a good thing, as it means they can move about quickly. It also means that they can scurry around while keeping an eye on their surroundings. In addition, their hairs are able to detect human speech from several meters away.
