Nesting Chinstrap Penguins Take Over 10,000 Small Naps Throughout the Day, New Research Finds

Chinstrap penguins love a good night’s sleep — or 10,000!

According to research published in the journal Science earlier this week, nesting birds in Antarctic colonies take more than 10,000 naps during the day.

Naps, which the research described as microsleeps — “secondary interruptions of wakefulness by closing the eyes and brain activity associated with sleep,” according to the journal — last only about 4 seconds at a time.

However, research has shown that naps add up to a total of 11 hours of sleep. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling people-interest stories.

Chinstrap penguin.

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To study penguins, scientists inserted devices into a small group of animals’ skulls.

Using brainwave and location data, which was paired with animal recordings, the researchers were able to get the data they were looking for.

The researchers also said in the study that they believe penguins sleeping in short intervals helps them avoid predators.

“Almost every study on sleeping birds reveals something new, something we didn’t know before,” study co-author Paul-Antoine Libourel, a researcher at France’s CNRS at the Center for Neuroscience Research in Lyon, said in a statement. according to NPR.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education