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Do ants ever sleep? iStock

Do ants ever sleep?

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Sweet dreams little ant, please rest far away from me.

Asked by: Paul Bachelor, by email

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Ants definitely rest - in any given colony there will always be some individuals that are standing still, not doing anything. Ants are also inactive in cold temperatures and many species hibernate through the winter.

Resting ants exhibit loss of muscle tone and reduced sensitivity to stimuli. But they don't have a complex enough nervous system to exhibit the different brain wave patterns seen in humans during sleep; nor do they dream.

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Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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