25 Animals that Sleep a Lot (A to Z List with Pictures) – Fauna Facts (2024)

Animals that sleep a lot include American Badger, Cats, Dogs, Humans, and Cheetah.

It’s no secret that animals sleep a lot. But did you know that some animals sleep up to 20 hours a day?

There are a lot of animals out there that love to sleep. In fact, many of them sleep for more than half of the day. While this may seem like a waste of time to us humans, it actually serves an important purpose for these animals.

By taking regular naps, they can conserve energy and stay healthy.

We will take a look at some of the animals that sleep the most, and find out why they need so much rest.

Examples of Animals that Sleep a Lot

1. American Badger

The American badger is a nocturnal animal that spends most of the day sleeping. They live in North America and can sleep for up to 18 hours per day. They spend most of their time underground and sleep in burrows.

2. Cats

Cats are mammals that sleep a lot. Their sleeping time is not as long as sloths, however, they will still sleep up to 16 hours each day. Most cats are nocturnal and will hunt at night when it is dark outside.

This means that they need to rest during the day so that they have enough energy for their nightly activities. Cats usually sleep on soft surfaces like a bed or sofa.

3. Cheetah

The cheetah is a carnivorous mammal that lives in Africa and Asia. It has the fastest recorded land speed for any animal, so it needs to sleep to recover from its fast-paced lifestyle.

Cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour, which means they need plenty of time to rest and recharge their energy stores. They are also nocturnal animals that sleep for about 12 hours each day.

4. Chipmunk

Chipmunks are small rodents that live in North America, Europe, and Asia. These animals are active during the day and sleep at night. They usually sleep for about 15 hours each day, which is more than most other mammals their size. Chipmunks often build nests out of leaves or grass to sleep in.

5. Dogs

Dogs are perhaps the most well-known animals that sleep a lot. They can sleep for up to 14 hours per day, depending on their breed and age. Dogs usually spend about two-thirds of their time sleeping, which is why they often seem so lazy.

Puppies typically sleep more than adult dogs since they have so much energy to burn.

6. Ferret

The ferret is a nocturnal animal that sleeps during the day. They are closely related to weasels, skunks, and otters. Ferrets live in underground burrows that they make themselves or use abandoned burrows made by other animals.

These mammals spend most of their time sleeping and eating, so they need to sleep for up to 18 hours per day.

7. Giant Armadillo

The giant armadillo is one of the largest members of the armadillo family. It can grow to be about five feet long and weigh up to 66 pounds.

These animals are found in South America, where they spend most of their time underground digging for food. They sleep for nearly 18 hours a day, which helps them conserve energy while they are digging.

Read Also: Is Armadillo Native to North America?

8. Gorilla

The gorilla is the largest living primate and can be found in Africa. These animals are diurnal, which means they sleep for about 12 hours per day. Gorillas spend most of their time resting or eating, but they also enjoy playing games with each other.

They live in groups of up to 30 gorillas and often groom one another while they are sleeping.

Related Article: Do Gorillas Symbolize Strength?

9. Hairy Armadillo

The hairy armadillo is another animal that sleeps for about 16 hours per day. This mammal can be found in Central and South America, and it has long hair on its body which helps to keep warm during the cold months.

It is also nocturnal, so most of the sleeping takes place during the daytime hours when it is dark outside.

10. Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are small, spiny mammals that live all over the world. They are mostly nocturnal animals and sleep for around 18 hours each day. Hedgehogs have a high metabolism rate, which means they need to eat often. They also store food in their cheeks so they can continue eating while they sleep.

Related Article: Do African Pygmy Hedgehog Have Quills?

11. Human Infant

While the average human adult sleeps for about eight hours each day, a newborn baby sleeps for about 16 to 17 hours per day.

This may seem like an excessive amount of sleep time at first glance, but it is actually very necessary for them to rest and develop their brain. Babies also need frequent feedings throughout the night so they will wake up every few hours to eat.

12. Koala

The koala is a marsupial animal that lives in Australia. It may look like a cute and cuddly bear, but it does not have much energy to spare due to its low-calorie diet of leaves from eucalyptus trees.

Koalas often sleep for about 20 hours each day, which can be very frustrating if you want to pet them at the zoo.

Related Article: Are Koalas Marsupials?

13. Lemur

Lemurs are primates that live on the island of Madagascar. There are over 100 different species of lemurs, but they all share a few things in common. They have large eyes and ears, long tails, and round bodies.

These animals also love to sleep. In fact, lemurs may be one of the sleepiest animals in the world. They can sleep up to 16 hours per day, which is usually split into two naps of about nine hours each.

14. Little Brown Bat

The little brown bat is another nocturnal animal that sleeps during the day and hunts at night. These animals live all over North America, Europe and some parts of Africa. They can sleep for up to 19 hours per day thanks to a low metabolism rate.

Little brown bats often hibernate during the winter months, which means they will sleep for even longer periods of time. They usually hang upside down in caves or trees while they are sleeping.

15. Mouse Possum

The mouse possum is a small marsupial that lives in Australia and New Guinea. It is the only species in its family and it sleeps for up to 6 hours each day. Mouse possums are nocturnal animals, so they spend most of their time asleep.

They live in trees or dense shrubbery and use their long tails for balance while they are sleeping.

16. Night Monkey

The night monkey is a small, nocturnal primate that lives in the rainforests of Central and South America. These animals sleep for up to 9.5 hours each day in order to conserve energy. They spend most of their time in the trees, where they can find safety from predators.

17. North American Opossum

The North American Opossum is a mammal that can be found all over the United States and Canada. This animal has a low metabolism rate, which means it needs to sleep for longer periods of time. In fact, the opossum sleeps up to 1820 hours per day.

While this may seem like a waste of time to us humans, it actually serves an important purpose for these animals. The opossum is a nocturnal animal that sleeps during the day and hunts at night.

18. Owl Monkey

The owl monkey is a small primate that lives in South America. This animal is nocturnal, which means it sleeps during the day and hunts at night. It gets its name from large eyes that look like those of owls. These animals have been found to sleep for up to 17 hours per day as well

19. Pocket Mouse

The pocket mouse is a small rodent that lives in North America. They are nocturnal animals and spend much of their time underground.

These mice sleep for up to 20 hours per day due to the fact they have such high metabolic rates when they’re awake. This means they require more energy than most other mammals, which results in longer sleep periods.

20. Pygmy

The pygmy is a small, nocturnal primate that lives in the rainforest of Africa. These animals only weigh about two pounds and sleep up to 12 hours per day.

They spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and playing. Pygmies are very active during the night when there is more food available to them.

21. Python

Pythons are snakes that live in Africa and Asia. They can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh as much as 200 pounds. While many people think of snakes as being awake all the time, pythons actually love to sleep.

In fact, these animals spend about 18 hours per day sleeping or resting. This is because their metabolism is very slow and they need to conserve energy.

22. Sloth

The sloth is a herbivorous mammal that lives in the rainforests of Central and South America. These animals sleep for up to 15 – 18 hours per day, but they only spend about two hours actively moving around. Sloths are very sluggish animals due to their low metabolism rate and slow movements.

23. Squirrel

Squirrels are very popular animals in the United States and can be found all over North America. They have large eyes that help them see at night, which helps them to sleep during the day.

There are three main types of squirrels: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. The smallest type is the African pygmy squirrel, which is only five inches long. Squirrels can hibernate during the winter months if their food supply becomes scarce.

24. Tiger

The tiger is the largest cat in the world and can be found in Asia and North America. These animals are solitary creatures that spend most of their time sleeping.\

They sleep for an average of 18 hours each day, mostly during the day. Tigers are also nocturnal predators who hunt at night.

25. Tree Shrew

The tree shrew is a small mammal that lives in the forests of Southeast Asia. This animal has an extremely high metabolism rate, which means it needs to eat and sleep more often than most animals.

It will spend about 2 hours per day sleeping on average, but this depends on how much food it can find during its waking hours. Some tree shrews also hibernate during the winter months, which means they can sleep for even longer periods of time.