Do spiders sleep⁇ - 26th September 2022

Do spiders dream like humans? Dr Rossler, scientist at the University of Konstanz, researched a special type of spider. She watched some young jumping spiders sleeping. She found that they had REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. REM sleep is when our eyes and muscles move while dreaming.

Dr Rossler says that during sleep, every 20 minutes, the young spiders' eyes moved. Their legs and body move too, just like dogs when they're dreaming. This usually happens in REM sleep.

Scientists don't know the exact reason why animals or humans have REM sleep. Some think it helps memory and muscle development. In humans, it helps with stress. The young jumping spiders might be developing their leg muscles for future hunting.

Dr Rossler believes that spiders, like humans, have bad dreams. They'll suddenly wake up from a quiet sleep to stretch all their legs. But scientists are still not certain if the spiders are dreaming.

It's difficult for scientists to examine spiders' brains because they are too small. This means we may never be sure. Scientists would like us to learn more about spiders. Perhaps then, humans will be kinder and less afraid of spiders. Dr Rossler says a dreaming spider is too cute to be killed.