Did you ever see the movie “The Fly”? How about “Arachnophobia”? There’s “A Bug’s Life”, “Bee Movie”, “Tarantula”, and the list goes on. Needless to say, humans just might be infatuated with bugs. But have you ever taken the time to think about the life of a bug? They are living creatures, which means they must eat and breathe and...what else do they do? Do bugs sleep?
National Geographic has a great article with much detail that answers the question, “Do bugs sleep?” For our purposes, I’ll answer with a simple “yes, most bugs sleep”. From wasps to fruit flies to bees, sleep is necessary for many insects. They might not climb into a bed covered in puffy pillows while wearing pretty pj’s, but they sleep nonetheless. In fact, many bugs don’t have eyelids, meaning they can’t shut their eyes in order to get their rest. For this reason, many bugs actually experience a state of torpor. As defined by Merriam-Webster, torpor is "a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals."
Now you know - most bugs sleep. Let’s just hope that they aren’t doing this in our beds. I mean, bed bugs are gross! That’s why it’s important to use bedsheets that repel bedbugs and wash your sheets at least once every two weeks, though preferably more often.
