<p>One study (Zhao et. al., 2010), investigating the sleep architecture of two bat species (one nocturnal, and one mixed), notes the following:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>C. sphinx</em> was found to sleep predominantly throughout the day (60% of total sleep quota) during which time it spent significantly longer
  time in NREM and REM sleep. Compared to <em>E. spelaea</em>, <em>C. sphinx</em> had
  significantly less REM and NREM sleep episodes but their duration was
  significantly longer. <em>E. spelaea</em> appears to distribute its time at
  wake and in REM and NREM sleep equally throughout the light and dark
  phases.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XPSa2.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XPSa2.png" alt="Bat sleep architecture"></a>
Top three rows are for the predominantly nocturnal bat <em>C. sphinx</em>. Note the "Wake" rows for the two species.</p>

<p>Source:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jon_Flanders/publication/40821192_Characterization_of_the_sleep_architecture_in_two_species_of_fruit_bat/links/00b4952974f1cb971e000000.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhao, X., Sun, H., Tang, Z., Flanders, J., Zhang, S., &amp; Ma, Y. (2010). <em>Characterization of the sleep architecture in two species of fruit bat.</em> Behavioural brain research, 208(2), 497-501.</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-30T19:43:42.017Z
2016-09-30T19:43:42.017Z
Justas
<p>A typical hypnogram, delineating the sleep architecture for a (human) mammal looks like</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/O8qRc.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>A distinct distribution of non-REM and REM sleep can be observed.  </p>

<p>Is this pattern of sleep cycles particular to that of diurnal mammals, and if so, how would the sleep architecture of a mammal that sleeps during the daytime be different?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-03T14:32:52.543Z
I looked for research on this, interestingly I couldn't find any scientific articles looking at sleep-wake cycles in nocturnal creatures. Fascinating question, but based on the lack of research available I doubt the answer is available at present. Although I hope I am wrong.
Comte
<sleep><physiology>
Do animals that sleep during the day have a different sleep architecture than those who sleep at night?
Chuck Sherrington
# Do animals that sleep during the day have a different sleep architecture than those who sleep at night?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-06-07)

A typical hypnogram, delineating the sleep architecture for a (human) mammal looks like

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/O8qRc.png)

A distinct distribution of non-REM and REM sleep can be observed.

Is this pattern of sleep cycles particular to that of diurnal mammals, and if so, how would the sleep architecture of a mammal that sleeps during the daytime be different?

**Tags:** sleep, physiology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I looked for research on this, interestingly I couldn't find any scientific articles looking at sleep-wake cycles in nocturnal creatures. Fascinating question, but based on the lack of research available I doubt the answer is available at present. Although I hope I am wrong.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-09-30. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

One study (Zhao et. al., 2010), investigating the sleep architecture of two bat species (one nocturnal, and one mixed), notes the following:

> *C. sphinx* was found to sleep predominantly throughout the day (60% of total sleep quota) during which time it spent significantly longer
> time in NREM and REM sleep. Compared to *E. spelaea*, *C. sphinx* had
> significantly less REM and NREM sleep episodes but their duration was
> significantly longer. *E. spelaea* appears to distribute its time at
> wake and in REM and NREM sleep equally throughout the light and dark
> phases.

[![Bat sleep architecture](https://i.sstatic.net/XPSa2.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/XPSa2.png)
Top three rows are for the predominantly nocturnal bat *C. sphinx*. Note the "Wake" rows for the two species.

Source:

[Zhao, X., Sun, H., Tang, Z., Flanders, J., Zhang, S., & Ma, Y. (2010). *Characterization of the sleep architecture in two species of fruit bat.* Behavioural brain research, 208(2), 497-501.](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jon_Flanders/publication/40821192_Characterization_of_the_sleep_architecture_in_two_species_of_fruit_bat/links/00b4952974f1cb971e000000.pdf)


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