Okay, so full honesty up front, I’m scared of spiders. Not in a dramatic fainting kind of way, but if one shows up in my room, I suddenly develop the speed and reflexes of a ninja trying to escape. I know they’re “important for the ecosystem” or whatever, but I just can’t get over the fact that they have eight legs, eight eyes, and somehow still manage to silently sneak up on walls like horror movie villains.
The other night, while lying in bed and trying not to think about the suspicious dark corner on my ceiling, a random thought hit me: Do spiders sleep? Like, are they ever off duty? Do they just hang there 24/7 waiting to jump-scare people like me? Or do they curl up somewhere and take a nap like normal creatures?
That moment right there is what pushed me to write this post. I knew I wouldn’t get any rest until I figured it out. So, naturally, I did what any totally normal person would do. I went down a spider sleep rabbit hole.
Do Spiders Sleep?
The short answer is yes, spiders do sleep or something very close to it.
But it’s not like how we humans crash with blankets and dreams. Spiders don’t have eyelids to close, so their sleep looks different from ours.
Scientists say spiders go through rest periods when their activity slows down and their bodies get a break. During these times, they stay very still and less responsive, basically hitting pause on their creepy eight-legged selves.
According to experts from Washington State University, these rest periods follow the spiders’ internal clocks. That means some spiders rest at night, while others take breaks during the day depending on their species and lifestyle.
What Does Spider Sleep Even Look Like?
So if spiders don’t close their eyes like we do, how do you actually tell when they’re “sleeping”? It’s not like they’re curling up under a blanket or snoring (thankfully).
Instead, spiders enter states of very low activity. You’ll often see them just hanging out motionless, barely reacting to anything around them. Scientists call this a “rest” or “stupor” state, where their muscles relax and their brains slow down, even though their eyes stay wide open.
Some spiders tuck themselves into safe spots, like inside their webs or under leaves, while others might just freeze right where they are. It’s basically their version of taking a nap, but way less obvious to us humans.
Why This Creeped Me Out Even More
Learning that spiders actually rest and sometimes right where you least expect them was kind of unsettling. I mean, knowing they’re not just waiting to scare me 24/7 is a tiny relief, but the fact that some might be quietly chilling nearby while I’m trying to sleep? Nope, still creepy.
Also, the idea that they follow their own internal clocks and have these weird “stupor” states made me realize spiders are way more alien than I thought. They don’t sleep like us, but they have their own rhythms and habits that keep them going.
Honestly, even after digging into all this science, my feelings didn’t change much. I still jump when one scurries across the floor and avoid corners like they’re booby-trapped. But hey, at least now I know they’re not all-night party animals, just taking their spider naps.
Final Thoughts
So yes, spiders do sleep or something very similar to sleep. They follow their own rhythms and take breaks to rest their bodies, even if it doesn’t look like the kind of sleep we’re used to.
While I’m still not a fan of sharing my space with eight-legged creatures, learning how spiders rest gave me a bit of perspective. Whether you’re scared of them like me or you find them fascinating, it’s pretty cool how nature works in such unexpected ways.
Hopefully, this cleared up your questions about spider sleep and maybe made those creepy crawlies a little less mysterious.
