How and how much do elephants sleep: paradoxes of sleep in giants The sleep of elephants represents one of the most unusual phenomena in the world of mammals, challenging established notions about the relationship between body size, brain mass, and the need for rest. For a long time, it was believed that all large animals sleep a lot, however, research conducted in natural reserves in South Africa has radically changed this view. Scientific observations of freely moving elephants using GPS collars and fitness trackers have allowed for unique data on their sleep. Record-breaking short duration of sleep African elephants are mammals with the shortest sleep duration. In the wild, adult elephants sleep an average of about 2 hours a day. Sometimes this period can be reduced to unprecedented 30 minutes. Such an extremely short sleep is explained by the need for almost constant activity to maintain the functioning of their massive bodies. Elephants need to spend up to 18 hours a day on feeding, consuming up to 300 kilograms of vegetation. Moreover, they must cover long distances in search of water and food, and remain vigilant in the face of predators and poachers. Characteristics of lying and standing sleep Elephants demonstrate two main sleep positions: lying and standing. Deep rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, characterized by complete muscle relaxation and dreams, is only available to them in a lying position. Adult individuals allow themselves to take this position no more than once or twice a day. This regimen is related to the enormous mass of their bodies — prolonged lying down can lead to compression of internal organs and difficulty breathing. Young elephants, whose weight is less, can sleep lying down much more frequently. For the rest of the time, elephants practice superficial slow sleep standing. In this state, they are able to half-control the surrounding environment thanks to the special structure of their knee joints, which "lock," allowing muscles to rest w ... Read more