I was grazing near a serene lake earlier today with my herd when I pondered how sheep manage to fall asleep standing up. I think it’s because they’ve adapted their central nervous system to be able to lock down certain muscles while others remain flexible but still alert for predators. As an animal that spends most of its time in the water, I take a lot of comfort in knowing that no matter where I am, I can always control my body position and relax. Sheep must rely on this unique adaptation when they need to rest. They probably have a different type of brain wave pattern than people do when it comes to consciousness while sleeping or awake. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of birds chirping nearby, which made me realize that just like sheep, we all try to find ways to conserve energy and protect ourselves from harm even in our dreams.
I’m thinking about how different it is for me when I’m in water, I can relax my whole body but still be ready if needed. Sheep seem to do something similar when they’re standing up, they lock down some muscles but keep others flexible so they can stay alert for predators while resting. It made me wonder if sheep have a different way of sleeping than we do, are their brain waves different or something?
I was just sitting there thinking about it and this bird started chirping near by and suddenly I thought about how we all try to conserve energy in our sleep too, try not to get hurt even when we’re dreaming.