Do spiders dream? Researchers studying spiders have found sleep patterns resembling REM sleep

(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons) Dreaming is an experience we often associate with humans but is it something that only humans experience? Scientists have long been curious to ascertain what may happen when other animals fall asleep. While certain sleep behaviours have been observed in mammals and birds, much less is known about how sleep works in creatures with a distinct nervous system. Researchers at the University of Bonn have studied the Australian jumping spider, Portia fimbriata, known to be a clever hunter. As Science Daily reported on the 27th of October 2026, researchers have discovered evidence of distinct sleep stages, including one that resembles the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep seen in humans, opening up new questions about whether spiders could experience something resembling dreams.The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany, examined the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata. The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by monitoring the spiders on several days and nights found clear evidence that spiders experience regulated sleep, and a REM-like sleep that is “marked by eye movements ...