By Jasreet Kaur21, Oct 2024 02:00 PMjagranjosh.com
Do you know?
Dolphins can’t sleep fully because they need to breathe. To stay safe, they sleep with one eye open, keeping half their brain awake to watch for danger and come up for air. Tap to read more.
Unihemispheric Sleep
Dolphins sleep with one hemisphere of their brain active while the other rests, allowing them to maintain consciousness for breathing and protection.
Adaptation for Survival
This sleep mechanism helps dolphins remain alert for predators or obstacles and ensures they come up for air periodically while sleeping.
Breathing While Sleeping
As voluntary breathers, dolphins must consciously surface for air. This is why their brain never fully shuts down, ensuring their survival in the wild.
Duration of Rest
Dolphins typically sleep for short intervals throughout the day, often resting for a few hours with alternating brain activity between hemispheres.
Young Dolphins’ Sleep Patterns
Newborn dolphins stay awake for weeks after birth, supported by their mothers, until they gradually adapt to the unihemispheric sleep pattern.
Similar Traits
Other marine mammals like whales and porpoises also exhibit unihemispheric sleep, a crucial adaptation for survival in aquatic environments.
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