# Do ants sleep? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ants-sleep/63323 "2001-04-25T18:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ants-sleep/63323/1 "2001-04-25T18:11:17Z")
I go outside to smoke on my breaks, and have a tendency to watch ants. (How boring is that? Sometimes I watch birds, though.) Anyway, this question popped into my head one day, and has been bugging me ever since. I just know that among the teeming millions ([Rock voice]and millions[/Rock voice]), there are bound to be a few entomologists out there. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ants-sleep/63323/2 "2001-04-25T20:16:43Z")
Kinda sorta. Check out the Staff Report [Do insects sleep? (01-Jun-1999)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/minsectsleep.html). ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ants-sleep/63323/3 "2001-04-26T13:21:18Z")
Thanks, **Zut**! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ants-sleep/63323/4 "2001-04-28T03:20:50Z")
Could we twist the question and ask do they NEED sleep. Or rather a rest. If humans or other mammals don’t sleep they would go “CRAZY” so to speak and die. What about an ant? What if you kept it exposed to stimuli? Would it burn out faster?