How do insects sleep?

Insects like bees or fruit flies all need sleep and cannot function normally without sleep, similar to humans.

Insects also sleep like humans

According to biologist Barrett Klein of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, insects , including cockroaches, mantis, or fruit flies all need sleep . Fruit flies even sleep like mammals, because they also react to chemicals that cause drowsiness or caffeine, similar to humans.

Insects also need sleep and rest to maintain life.(Artwork: Minden Pictures)

However, determining sleeping insects is not easy. The signs that they are sleeping are in a state of inactivity, the body sagging in the gravitational direction and the muscles are relaxed, or the reaction time with loud noises.

Biologist Katy Prudic of Oregon State University said we may not know if an insect is actually sleeping . At night, butterflies cannot move when temperatures drop, this state is like they are sleeping, but in reality it is not. Their true sleep begins in the late afternoon, when they hang themselves in hidden places like the leaves and bark.

Similarly, lack of sleep is a serious problem for humans, which also has a certain effect on insects. When sleep deprivation, butterflies cannot fly everywhere, females will lay eggs wrongly on plants that their larvae cannot eat. Tests in fruit flies suggest that this species will have to sleep if it lacks sleep.

In the 2010 study, Klein observed the lack of sleep in honey bees , insects transmitted information about food sources as well as suitable nesting areas for the same species through gestures. After a while, gestures of sleepless bees are no longer detailed or useful for others.