Friday, 5 September 2008

mammals - Do dolphins really sleep?

I'd say that unihemispheric sleep and adaptations like it really are sleep - the brain activity on one side of the brain gives a characteristic sleep pattern. It certainly must satisfy the needs of an aquatic mammal like a dolphin or a whale since they have to be partially conscious to breathe by surfacing regularly.



It does seem to affect the brain physiology, but is there a reason you would not call it sleep?

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