Most animals have a daily pattern of rest and activity. Some animals are more active during the day (diurnal) and some are more active during the night (nocturnal). How much time do animals spend sleeping? Well, it depends on the animal:
| Species | Average Total Sleep Time (% of 24 hr) | Average Total Sleep Time (Hours/day) |
| Brown Bat | 82.9% | 19.9 hr |
| Giant Armadillo | 75.4% | 18.1 hr |
| North American Opossum | 75% | 18 hr |
| Python | 75% | 18 hr |
| Owl Monkey | 70.8% | 17.0 hr |
| Human (infant) | 66.7% | 16 hr |
| Tiger | 65.8% | 15.8 hr |
| Tree shrew | 65.8% | 15.8 hr |
| Squirrel | 62% | 14.9 hr |
| Western Toad | 60.8% | 14.6 hr |
| Ferret | 60.4% | 14.5 hr |
| Three-toed Sloth | 60% | 14.4 hr |
| Golden Hamster | 59.6% | 14.3 hr |
| Platypus | 58.3% | 14.0 hr |
| Lion | 56.3% | 13.5 hr |
| Gerbil | 54.4% | 13.1 hr |
| Rat | 52.4% | 12.6 hr |
| Cat | 50.6% | 12.1 hr |
| Cheetah | 50.6% | 12.1 hr |
| Mouse | 50.3% | 12.1 hr |
| Rhesus Monkey | 49.2% | 11.8 hr |
| Rabbit | 47.5% | 11.4 hr |
| Jaguar | 45% | 10.8 hr |
| Duck | 45% | 10.8 hr |
| Dog | 44.3% | 10.6 hr |
| Bottle-nosed dolphin | 43.3% | 10.4 hr |
| Star-nosed Mole | 42.9% | 10.3 hr |
| Baboon | 42.9% | 10.3 hr |
| European Hedgehog | 42.2% | 10.1 hr |
| Squirrel Monkey | 41.3% | 9.9 hr |
| Chimpanzee | 40.4% | 9.7 hr |
| Guinea Pig | 39.2% | 9.4 hr |
| Human (adult) | 33.3% | 8 hr |
| Pig | 32.6% | 7.8 hr |
| Guppy (fish) | 29.1% | 7 hr |
| Gray Seal | 25.8% | 6.2 hr |
| Human (elderly) | 22.9% | 5.5 hr |
| Goat | 22.1% | 5.3 hr |
| Cow | 16.4% | 3.9 hr |
| Asiatic Elephant | 16.4% | 3.9 hr |
| Sheep | 16% | 3.8 hr |
| African Elephant | 13.8% | 3.3 hr |
| Donkey | 13.0% | 3.1 hr |
| Horse | 12.0% | 2.9 hr |
| Giraffe | 7.9% | 1.9 hr |