Almost every creature in both the human and animal kingdoms, as well as the insect world, requires sleep.

This is because daily energy expenditure is significant for both humans and animals, and only adequate sleep can provide the body with enough time to replenish energy and promote metabolic processes.

For a long time, the continuous activity of bees led many experts to believe that they did not require sleep. Is this really the case? Of course not. Bees do need sleep; it's just that their sleep duration is short and not easily observable. But how does such a short sleep period support bee survival? Let's explore together!

Beekeepers might be familiar with the fact that except during the winter season, bee activity decreases when they are out collecting nectar. In most cases, whether it's daytime or nighttime, when we open the hive, we can always see bees buzzing around, hardly ever in a static state.

Does this mean bees don't need sleep? Research conducted by American biologist Sokolowski on bee sleep indicates otherwise.

The reduced number of active bees or their entry into a sleep state is determined by the position of their antennae. When bees are sleeping or fatigued, their antennae droop relatively low. Compared to humans, bees spend longer periods in deep sleep during the night, with the peak of metabolic oxygen consumption occurring around 4 a.m., indicating that most bees enter a deep sleep phase around this time.

While in a sleep state, bees emit weaker infrared pulses, and their body temperature gradually decreases as they enter a deep sleep state until it is lower than the surrounding environment.

However, during the day, if a bee remains motionless for over 6 minutes, its body temperature drops to match that of the environment. Additionally, bee sleep patterns resemble those of humans. During sleep, bee neck muscles relax, and the amplitude-frequency of their electromyograms reaches a minimum.

The misconception that bees don't need sleep arises because bees also adopt a rotational rest system. Since bees mostly inhabit outdoor environments, they often face attacks from other insects or accidental disturbances from beekeepers during hive management, preventing them from sleeping normally. This could potentially lead to colony collapse disorder, where a large number of worker bees disappear.

Generally, when bees face threats or special circumstances, colonies will compensate for the lost sleep during non-foraging times, especially when nectar sources are scarce. Bees conserve energy through sleep, reduce metabolic rates, enhance memory consolidation, recall the scent and location of nectar sources, and improve foraging efficiency.

So now we know that bees also need rest, albeit for short durations, especially in summer. Worker bees face intense labor, enduring scorching weather, nurturing larvae, and feeding the queen, it's evident why their lifespans are so short.

In fact, adequate sleep is essential for all living organisms. Lack of sleep can impair memory, and attention, and lead to extreme mental stress, which is not worth the trade-off. So, for all you night owls out there, remember to plan your sleep schedule wisely, reduce fatigue from staying up late, and engage in regular physical activity!