Humans and animals need sleep. But we don’t all sleep the same way.

A study was published in 2023. It was about chinstrap penguins. Scientists found an odd sleep pattern among penguins. The parents don’t take one long sleep at night, like we do. They take thousands of tiny naps. Each nap lasts only a few seconds.

Keeping Safe

Chinstrap penguins lay their eggs each November. Parents take turns protecting the nest from predators. Scientist Paul-Antoine Libourel wanted to learn more. “How do they sleep when they are facing such a big challenge?” he wondered.

To protect their eggs, chinstrap penguins must stay alert.

VADIM NEFEDOV—GETTY IMAGES

Libourel and his team studied 14 penguins. They used special devices. The devices tracked brain activity.

The researchers saw that the penguins took thousands of naps each day. These added up to more than 11 hours of daily sleep.

That’s a lot of time to spend in a sleepy state. But scientists think these short rests help keep penguins safe.

Frank Rubio is an astronaut. On September 27, 2023, he broke a record. He completed the longest U.S. spaceflight. When he got back, he ate a salad. That’s the food he craved most while at the International Space Station.

Rubio’s mission should have lasted 180 days. But it lasted 371. There was a leak on the ship that was meant to bring him home. That delayed his return.

Here, he talks about his time in space.

What is a typical day like in space?

We do tons of experiments. We also have to keep ourselves healthy. I enjoy exercise. Exercising helps with my mental health. We spend a lot of time taking care of the station, too. Every once in a while, we get to do some really cool things. Like a spacewalk. Every day is very busy.

Was it hard to be away from family?

That’s the biggest challenge. But you’re able to call Earth anytime you want. And you can video chat.

What was your favorite moment?

Launch was fantastic. It was everything I thought it was going to be. Then you get to space. You see the Earth for the first time. Then you go out and do a spacewalk. The fact that you’re able to live in space for a full year? It’s mind-blowing. The whole year was full of incredible experiences. They were once-in-a-lifetime.

Would you like to go back?

Absolutely. But I don’t know if I’d want to break the record again! If I’m able to go back, great. If I’m not, hopefully I can help get somebody else back to the moon.