No. Spiders don’t lay down and close their eyes like humans, and most mammals do.
Spiders can’t close their eyes because they don’t have eyelids. This doesn’t mean that they don’t rest. Spiders rest by going into episodes of inactivity and dormancy. These periods of inactivity often follow their natural circadian rhythm cycles.
During these periods, the spider will appear frozen and motionless. Spiders are still highly aware when they “sleep.” They are known to break snap out of their inactivity if they are threatened or see a chance to catch prey.
The cycle that the spiders follow will depend on the species.
For example, orb weavers are nocturnal, which means their inactivity periods will take place during the day. Other spiders such as jumping spiders are more active during the day and rest at night.
How Does a Spider Sleep?
The equivalent of spider sleep is a period of inactivity that allows the spider to rest. During this period of inactivity, spiders typically stay in one place without moving.
They are still aware of the environment around them, but they have slowed their metabolism and energy consumption, which acts as a form of sleep, allowing them to rest.
Most times, you will either find them someplace on their web. If they are not web spiders, they will typically find a place to hide before they go to “sleep.”
Do Spiders Sleep Upside Down?
Yes. Spiders can sleep upside down. If you see a spider in an upside-down position, by no means does it mean they are sleeping.
The position that spiders rest will depend on the species of spider that you are observing.
You are more likely to find a web spider such as the daddy long legs.
“sleeping” upside down. Web-building spiders don’t care which direction they are facing when they “sleep.”
Hunting spiders don’t create webs, but you can still find them sleeping or resting upside down, but it’s less likely.
These spiders are great climbers, so you might find them walking along walls, ceilings, trees, or plants in an upside-down position. In some instances, they will “sleep” in this position as well.
It can be hard to find hunting spiders sleeping because they tend to hide or go somewhere they feel safe before they begin “sleeping.”
Do spiders sleep in your mouth?
No. Spiders don’t sleep in humans’ mouths. It’s also very unlikely for a spider to enter your mouth when you sleep.
This fear often comes from an untrue “fact” that circulated the internet at some point. The fact states that humans swallow an average of eight spiders per year while they sleep.
This is not true at all.
Most spiders will stay away from you while you sleep. They also are very unlikely to enter your mouth as you sleep.
This makes it very unlikely that a spider will ever enter your mouth, let alone sleep inside your mouth.
If you’re afraid of spiders this is one outlandish concern that you don’t need to worry about.
How Long Do Spiders Sleep?
Spiders typically sleep or rest for between 8 and 12 hours per day. Similar to humans spiders follow a circadian rhythm. Depending on the spiders’ preference for day or night activity.
This means that the spider will typically “sleep” during the time of day that they are less active.
For example, a jumping spider will spend most of its time hunting during the day. As the sun goes down, they will seek shelter and “sleep” through the night if left undisturbed. As soon as the soon rises again they will start hunting again.
So it turns out that spiders need their eight hours every day like most humans do.
The amount of time that spiders spend resting will depend on the activity level around them. If a spider feels threatened or there is prey around it will rest for less time. This is because although the spiders are resting they are fully aware of their surroundings.
Do spiders curl up when they sleep?
No. Spiders don’t curl up when they sleep.
If you see a spider that is curled up it’s likely dead. When a spider curls up it’s typically a sign that the body is shutting down.
Spiders run on a system similar to hydraulics but instead of oil, their body uses blood. When blood stops flowing their legs begin to collapse and give the appearance that they are curling up.
In other rare instances if the spider curls up it could be playing dead. They will typically stay in a curled position for a limited time and once they feel safe they will begin walking again.
Do spiders play dead?
Yes. Certain species of spiders play dead. One species of spider that tends to play dead is the common house spider.
The common house spider will curl up when it feels threatened. For example, if you touch it with a pencil it will curl up as a defense mechanism.
Another spider that plays dead is the male wolf spider. Male wolf spiders play dead to protect themselves from their cannibalistic female mates after mating. A study found that male wolf spiders adapted this behavior in order to survive past mating.
Do spiders sleep in winter?
Yes. Certain species of spiders go into hibernation during winter. Hibernation is a type of resting that spiders go into to conserver energy.
During winter or colder months, some spiders go into a state of dormancy and slow down their metabolism in order to survive.
So, spiders don’t sleep during the winter. Some spiders go into hibernation which is a state of dormancy and other spiders can live through winter by slowing down their metabolism and eating less often.
Where do spiders go in the wintertime?
Spiders will typically seek shelter during the wintertime. This applies to spiders that are hibernating or remaining active.
When spiders are hibernating they will seek shelter under rocks, inside trees, or any location that protects them from predators. The shelter will protect them from the cold weather as well as the natural antifreeze they produce in their body.
These two steps prevent them from freezing and dying during the cold winter months.
Spiders that don’t hibernate will also seek a location where they feel protected. This is because even if they don’t hibernate their activity levels will decrease due to the colder temperatures.
What happens to spiders in the winter?
Many spiders hibernate during winter. Hibernation is a type of extended “sleep.” In hibernation, spiders become dormant. Spiders become completely inactive to reduce the energy they need to survive.
They also slow down their metabolism so that they don’t have to eat. This allows them to survive on the meal they consumed before they started hibernating.
When temperatures get low, to survive, spiders produce a compound that acts as an anti-freeze. The anti-freeze lowers the temperature that will cause them to freeze.
This effectively allows them to survive cold winters without freezing and dying.
Do Spiders Hibernate?
Yes. Some but not all species of spiders hibernate. Spiders hibernate to help them survive the cold temperatures of winter.
Hibernation is important because if they didn’t they couldn’t survive winter.
Winter poses issues for spiders. The first is that it’s typically harder to find food and it requires more energy.
The second is that the cold temperatures could cause them to freeze and die.
Hibernation allows them to reduce the amount of food and energy they need. It also allows them to reduce their freezing point.
During hibernation spiders produce antifreeze which lowers their freezing point. This prevents them from freezing and allows their organs and bodies to continue operating despite the cold temperatures.
Once the temperature increases the spiders can resume their normal life.
Do spiders dream?
No. Spiders don’t dream.
Spiders don’t sleep like mammals or humans. This means that they don’t experience REM sleep. REM sleep is often considered the time during sleep when humans and other mammals dream.
Another reason is that scientists believe that dreaming is an extension of short term memory. Spiders are not expected to have a very large memory yet short term memory.
Do All Spiders Sleep?
Yes. All spiders sleep. Certain spiders sleep for different lengths but all spiders “sleep”. The rest that spiders get is essential to their survival.
In some cases, spiders might go for several days without “sleep”, they will eventually seek sleep at one point or another.