Dolphins are a member of the marine mammal group called cetaceans, which also include whales, orcas, and porpoises. Being water dwellers and needing oxygen to live, these mammals have to sleep in a way that prevents them from drowning, which is different from how you and other land mammals sleep. Your bodily functions during sleep include the inactivation of all voluntary muscles, however, you are equipped with a breathing reflex which allows you to breathe automatically so you will not suffocate during sleep. Dolphins aren't equipped with that breathing reflex, so their way of sleeping is very different and is important to their survival.
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, or USWS, is a sleep phenomenon that exists when one hemisphere of the brain is asleep and the other hemisphere remains …show more content…
Dolphins in captivity have been observed to sleep at the bottom of their pools or tanks, periodically surfacing for air. While in the wild, they may rest by hanging vertically in the water or laying on their side on the surface of the water, which is called logging. They may also sleep while slowly swimming next to another animal, which is known as rest swimming. According to a 2008 article in the Neuroscience & Behavioral Reviews journal, it has been documented that during a 24 hour period, each hemisphere of the dolphin's brain will get approximately four hours of sleep. There is also evidence that dolphins undergo light rapid eye movement or REM sleep cycles, which suggests a possibility that dolphins may be able to dream as you do during REM sleep. This finding contradicts unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, also known as asymmetric slow-wave sleep, when one half of the brain is in deep sleep, which is a form of non-rapid eye movement
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep
Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, or USWS, is a sleep phenomenon that exists when one hemisphere of the brain is asleep and the other hemisphere remains …show more content…
Dolphins in captivity have been observed to sleep at the bottom of their pools or tanks, periodically surfacing for air. While in the wild, they may rest by hanging vertically in the water or laying on their side on the surface of the water, which is called logging. They may also sleep while slowly swimming next to another animal, which is known as rest swimming. According to a 2008 article in the Neuroscience & Behavioral Reviews journal, it has been documented that during a 24 hour period, each hemisphere of the dolphin's brain will get approximately four hours of sleep. There is also evidence that dolphins undergo light rapid eye movement or REM sleep cycles, which suggests a possibility that dolphins may be able to dream as you do during REM sleep. This finding contradicts unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, also known as asymmetric slow-wave sleep, when one half of the brain is in deep sleep, which is a form of non-rapid eye movement