spiders

According to Charlotte's Web they do.

Yes, they do, kinda. From http://www.amonline.net.au/spiders/resources/biology.htm :

"Do spiders sleep?

It really depends on how you define "sleep". All animals have some sort of 'circadian' rhythm - a daily activity/inactivity pattern. Some are active during the day - diurnal - others are active at night time - nocturnal/crepuscular. The periods of inactivity are characterised by withdrawal (to a shelter perhaps) and a drop in metabolic rate.

This applies to spiders as well, although no studies have been done to measure the period of time spent in such a state or at what times different species do it. It seems that spiders with good eyesight that rely on vision to capture prey may tend to be more active in daylight hours, whereas others that rely on snares/webs could be active at other times, but this is not necessarily the case for all species.

In cold climates, spiders "overwinter", which means that they have a kind of hibernation period. Overwintering involves a drop in metabolic rate, where the spiders bring their legs into their body and remain huddled in a shelter during the coldest months of the year.

This ability to shut down for a long period of time indicates that they might be able to do it for shorter periods in their everyday cycle, which could be seen as a form of sleep or rest.

Information from Foelix, R.F. 1996. Biology of Spiders. Oxford Thieme. Arachnology section, Australian Museum"

It's not possible to tell if any insects sleep with current technology because we don't have equipment that is either sensitive enough or small enough.

Who cares? I say kill 'em all. I keep a running tally of how many spidery lives I've ended. Wait... Ah, here it is. 1,716 since I've been counting. Only started a year or so ago.

Web spiders are active all day and night!

no spiders are really cool i dunno

reference http://www.amonline.net.au/spiders/resources/biology.htm#sleep

the article:-

Do spiders sleep?
It really depends on how you define "sleep". All animals have some sort of 'circadian' rhythm - a daily activity/inactivity pattern. Some are active during the day - diurnal - others are active at night time - nocturnal/crepuscular. The periods of inactivity are characterised by withdrawal (to a shelter perhaps) and a drop in metabolic rate.

This applies to spiders as well, although no studies have been done to measure the period of time spent in such a state or at what times different species do it. It seems that spiders with good eyesight that rely on vision to capture prey may tend to be more active in daylight hours, whereas others that rely on snares/webs could be active at other times, but this is not necessarily the case for all species.

In cold climates, spiders "overwinter", which means that they have a kind of hibernation period. Overwintering involves a drop in metabolic rate, where the spiders bring their legs into their body and remain huddled in a shelter during the coldest months of the year.

This ability to shut down for a long period of time indicates that they might be able to do it for shorter periods in their everyday cycle, which could be seen as a form of sleep or rest.

Information from Foelix, R.F. 1996. Biology of Spiders. Oxford Thieme. Arachnology section, Australian Museum

Best regards, Bill.

do they dream ?

The dark, the lovely dark that covers me from tip to toe. In that warm and humid place, I spin and spin. Rough corners, twenty with but a moment's distance, call me to my labor. Up and down, I spin and weave. Time is frozen, but I am not. My body has long mastered the intricate patterns that I must weave, so I dream. Pausing, for a moment high above a vacant space, I ponder the beauty of my net. Then on again. I'm tireless and go on with heeding the passage of hours.

As each corner is softened by my silk, there is time to rest. I sit quietly waiting, my legs spread in invitation. A twitch, but that might be just an errant breeze. I wait, and again the thread is plucked and then it trembles as the prey entangles itself. No hurry, for I am master of my craft. The vibrations grow weak, and then they stop. It is almost time again for me to spin new silk, but I am hungry. It is a large, fat and still juicy fly. My favorite, and I over eat again.

Though I am sleepy and heavy with my meal, a corner calls. I swing from here, to there on a trapeze of my own making. The wall is warm and promises to snare many meals.

I spin and spin, weave and weave. The world does not hold a single creature that can not be captured in my web, and my thousand children will never dream themselves of matricide.

aaaaaaaah.......

what do the hunt 'em down and jump on 'em spiders dream of?