2006-12-13 10:15:04 · 7 answers · asked by bas5519 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Yes. Like other members of cetacea, they either sleep near the surface exposing their blowholes or they sleep and shut down half of the brain to rest, the other regulates diving and surfacing as a reflex.
2006-12-14 11:03:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How Do Porpoises Sleep
2017-01-09 12:30:19 · answer #2 · answered by chasse 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer to this question---yes and no. Porpoises, whales, and dolphins are voluntary breathers--they have to think about their breathing all the time. If they were to go completly to sleep, they would drown. People and many land animals are involuntary breathers. When we fall "sound-asleep" at night, we continue to breath without even knowing it. So what happens when a porpoise sleeps? They shut off part of their brain...literally. While that part of the brain rests, the other part stays concious and can focus on coming to the surface to take a breath.
2006-12-13 10:26:11 · answer #3 · answered by spyhopper 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Someone asked a similar question the other day. They seem to sleep with one half of their brain at a time, while the other half stays semi-awake in order to alert the porpoise to rise to the surface.
2006-12-13 10:26:52 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. They have to rise to the surface to breath often enough that it seems that they couldn't sleep underwater. Little is really understood about what sleep is and why some species need it, so there's really no reason to assume it is necessary for all.
2006-12-13 10:22:04 · answer #5 · answered by CRF 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i believe you have your awnser i think every animal needs rest some more than others giraffs only sleep for 30 min in a 24 hour day
whereas my son sleeps for 10 hours
either way a rest we need
2006-12-13 12:10:06 · answer #6 · answered by The_Darker_Side_of_Me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no they sleep half of their brain. and they swim and it just alternates they are not like sharks and sleep at the bottom. all whales and dolphins sleep half of their brain i hope this helped
2006-12-13 11:59:39 · answer #7 · answered by spongebob fan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋