Sleep Patterns in Africa

Every night is the same.  Awake at 3 a.m.  Sun rises at 4 a.m.  Out of bed, no later than 5 a.m.  By napping soundly in the afternoon, I'm getting enough sleep, but I need to change my internal clock!

Being awake helps me learn more about Africa, though.  Reading Wild magazine, here’s what I learned about African animal sleep patterns:  Lions sleep 15-20 hours a day.  (Think of big housecats.)  One half of a dolphin's brain sleeps at a time, so one eye is always open.  Hippos like to nap in water to keep cool, but because they can’t swim or even float, they nap standing up in shallow areas.  Finally, the guys I identify with right now, giraffes sleep no more than five to 30 minutes in 24 hours!   Think how tired they must be…