How Do Giraffes Sleep?

If you’re wondering whether giraffes lay down to sleep, you’ve come to the right place. The giraffe’s long neck makes it very difficult for them to lay down in the sense that humans understand. In fact, if you’ve ever seen a picture of a giraffe laying down, you know exactly what we’re talking about.

As you know already, it’s rare for adult giraffes to lay down when they sleep. This allows them to remain alert to the threat of predators, but that’s not the only reason they don’t typically lay down. 

In reality, it’s pretty difficult for giraffes to get back up after laying down. This is largely due to their awkwardly long necks. The whole process of getting back up takes some time, which isn’t really conducive to evading an attack from a predator. 

Since baby giraffes are smaller and more agile when getting up off the ground than adults, they tend to lay down to sleep more often. They do so on their bellies, with their legs tucked underneath their bodies. However, adult giraffes either sleep standing up or sitting down—but rarely laying down. When they do lay down, it’s usually not for longer than five minutes.