Koalas Sleep Up to 22 Hours a Day

If you think you're tired, spare a thought for the koala—nature's ultimate sleep enthusiast. These Australian marsupials can sleep up to 22 hours per day, making them one of the sleepiest animals on Earth. That's more than sloths, more than house cats, and definitely more than you after binge-watching an entire Netflix series.

First, a quick correction: despite the common nickname "koala bear," koalas aren't bears at all. They're marsupials—pouched mammals more closely related to wombats than to any bear species. Their scientific name, Phascolarctos cinereus, literally means "pouched bear," which explains the confusion, but taxonomically speaking, koalas are in a family all their own.

Why So Sleepy?

The reason koalas sleep so much comes down to their extraordinarily challenging diet. Koalas eat almost exclusively eucalyptus leaves, which are not only low in nutrients but also loaded with toxic compounds that would poison most other animals. Processing these leaves requires massive amounts of energy, and koalas have evolved an ingenious solution: do almost nothing.

Their metabolic rate is about 50% lower than what you'd expect for a mammal their size. By sleeping 18-22 hours a day (the exact amount varies based on individual koalas and environmental factors), they conserve enough energy to digest their toxic, low-calorie meals without starving.

What Do They Do When Awake?

The remaining 2-6 hours of a koala's day aren't exactly action-packed. Their waking hours are mostly spent:

• Eating more eucalyptus leaves (naturally)
• Grooming themselves
• Slowly climbing from branch to branch
• Occasionally socializing with other koalas

Even when "awake," koalas often appear drowsy and move in slow motion. They're not lazy—they're just extremely energy-efficient.

The Sleep Research

Scientists have studied koala sleep patterns using EEG (electroencephalogram) technology to measure brain activity, confirming that these marsupials genuinely spend the vast majority of their lives unconscious. Some individuals have been documented hitting that full 22-hour mark, though 18-20 hours is more typical.

Interestingly, koalas experience both REM and non-REM sleep, just like humans. Whether they dream of endless eucalyptus forests or something more exciting, we'll probably never know—but given their lifestyle, it's probably the former.

So the next time someone calls you lazy for sleeping in on a Saturday, just remind them that you're still nowhere near koala levels. Unless you're pulling 22-hour sleep sessions while digesting toxic leaves, you're basically an overachiever by comparison.