If you’ve ever been to a wildlife park or big cat sanctuary, you may have wandered past the lion enclosure only to find the inhabitants fast asleep. Come back an hour later and they may still be snoozing in the sunshine. But why is this? Is it normal for these powerful cats to need so much shut-eye? Here, we investigate why lions sleep so much.

Sleeping off the heat

Lions do require plenty of rest - up to 20 hours each day. They are crepuscular animals, which means they are mostly active in the hours just before dawn and after dusk. Living in the heat of the African savannah, wild lions snooze during the hottest hours of the day so they have plenty of energy to hunt and socialise when the cooler temperatures set in. They also have few sweat glands, so in order to remain cool and hydrated they need to rest in the daytime. 

Digesting

Another reason lions need so much sleep is that they are obligate carnivores. This means they need to eat meat in order to get all the nutrients they need. In the wild, they typically hunt every two to four days, depending on the availability of prey and the size of the pride. 

Consuming large amounts of protein requires quite a lot of time for digestion. Protein is a complex molecule and takes energy to break down, so after a big meal lions need time to turn their food into all the amino acids that their bodies need. The fact that they won’t be hunting for a few days afterwards also means they need to conserve their energy for catching the next meal. 

An advantage over prey

The herbivores that lions hunt begin to slow down during the darker, cooler hours of the day. By resting during the hotter hours, lions have an advantage over their prey, having plenty of energy for stalking and chasing. Although they prefer to ambush prey, lions are capable of running up to 50mph in short bursts and leaping up to 11 metres. 

Like many cat species, their eyesight also improves in dimmer light, making it easier for them to make a successful kill. Did you know that their sensitivity to light is six times better than that of humans?

It’s not just laziness

Knowing why lions sleep so much gives us an understanding of how they survive in the wild. So next time you visit a zoo and see the lions lounging in the sunshine, you’ll know it’s not just laziness - it’s a vital part of their innate survival strategy. 

Find the lion inside

If you love lions and family shows, don’t miss The Lion Inside at the London Southbank Centre this Easter. Playing from 16 - 20 April, it’s one of the best children’s shows, based on Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s lion book of the same name. Using stunning puppetry, song and dance, it’s a fun and engaging retelling of the story, and perfect for shorter attention spans. Book your tickets today.