Which are the longest sleeping animals, after sloth?

Sleep is equally essential for all the animals found on this planet. But some animals require more sleep than others. This habit has been bestowed upon them by nature since they cannot fight against predators in the forest. When it is not possible to save oneself through the fight, the best way is to lie quietly in one place so that the attention of hunters is not attracted. But it’s not always to protect oneself from predators; some predators also sleep for more than 12-14 hours a day.

Generally, Sloth is assumed to be the laziest and most sleepy animal, but believe it or not; there is a list of the animals that sleep much longer than a sloth. In this article, you will know about the few of the animals that beat Sloth in being lazy and sleepy.

Koala

Koalas are found in Australia, living on a eucalyptus tree. They sleep about 22 hours a day, which makes them the sleepiest animal. Koalas spend 90% of their time sleeping, while in the other 10%, they eat and sit around. This is why Koalas are known as the longest sleeping animals.

Brown Bats

Brown bats sleep for about 20 hours a day. They spend 83% of their day sleeping upside down. Brown bats come out at night, but it is for 4 hours only.

Hairy Armadillo

Hairy armadillos spend 20 hours relaxing in their tunnels. They may not be necessarily sleeping the entire time, but hairy armadillos sleep for at least 18 hours a day.

Pocket Mouse

A pocket mouse needs a lot of sleep. This little rodent spends more than 20 hours a day sleeping.

Tiger

Just like Armadillos, Tigers sleep for about 18-19 hours. Tigers are active predators, but they require a lot of sleep too.

Opossum

Opossum spends 18 hours sleeping, just like tigers and sloths. They spend 75% of their time snoozing.

Old Monkey

Old monkeys are found in the forest of Central and South America. They sleep for about 18 hours a day and are very active during night time. Furthermore, they have big brown eyes, which help them see clearly in the dark.

Chipmunks

Chipmunks don’t require much sleep to function as compared to the other animals. These small rodents sleep for about 15 hours a day. Chipmunks are mostly found in North America.

American Badger

American Badgers get 14 hours to sleep. They are known to have a spunky attitude, but still, humans trap them for their pelts. They can sleep for several days, or even weeks, in deep winter.

Platypuses

Platypuses sleep for about 14 hours due to the high-calorie intake in their diets. They are mainly found in Australia and have mostly REM sleep.

Mouse Possum

Mouse possum doesn’t get much sleeps for approximately 14 hours a day like an American badger.

Lions

Being a mostly nocturnal animal, lions spend more of the time sleeping. They sleep for around 13 hours, one or two hours more than cats. They are most active around dusk and dawn hours.

Poorwill

Poorwill is renowned for its long sleep. Every winter, the poorwill hibernates for about 88 long days. During this long sleep, its heartbeats lessen considerably, and the temperature of its body also reduces. When winter is over, and there is warmth in the atmosphere, the poorwill wakes up automatically – as if an alarm bell has rung.