Do Bees Nap?
Yes, I have video. Yes, it’s adorable.
The hive had just swarmed. The air was still electric. I opened up the box to peek into their new home and there they were.
A row of honey bees, just… still.
Not dead. Not sluggish. Just asleep.
Midday.
It was like catching someone mid-nap on a sunlit couch, completely unbothered by the world around them. I stood there in awe, watching these tired little goddesses take their rest.
Honestly? I didn’t know they did it like this. I knew bees slept, sure. But I thought it was a night-only thing. I didn’t expect a lineup of snoozers, dozing off in broad daylight like exhausted toddlers after a birthday party.
Turns out, honey bees nap throughout the day, especially after something taxing—like, oh I don’t know, moving house. And just like us, sleep helps them consolidate memory, recharge, and stay socially functional. (I’m starting to think bees might actually be introverts with deadlines.)
But wait, do bees really sleep?
Yes. In the 1980s, scientists first documented actual sleep behaviour in bees. Since then, multiple studies have confirmed that female bees (aka workers) go through periods of complete stillness, lowered body temperature, and reduced responsiveness—textbook nap mode.
And here is the kicker: sleep is vital for their function.
Sleep-deprived bees struggle with navigation (they literally get lost on their way home)
They make more mistakes in the waggle dance (the bee GPS)
Their olfactory memory gets worse (translation: they forget where the good flowers are)
Basically, bees who don’t sleep? Bad at bee-ing.
One study even found that younger bees—especially nurse bees—get less sleep, while older foragers tend to nap more often. (Shout out to midlife naps :D)
What I felt, watching them sleep
There was something sacred about it.
A brand new hive. A fresh start. And instead of buzzing around in chaos, they were still. They were trusting.
There’s a softness in that image I can’t stop thinking about.
If we’re always looking to bees for productivity lessons—how they work, organise, build—then this moment reminds me that their wisdom goes both ways.
Maybe resting is part of the work. Maybe stillness is sacred, too.
Rest like a bee
So yeah, bees sleep. In the daytime. In rows. And they’re better for it.
This is your sign to stop glorifying burnout and start glorifying the nap.
Real studies you can check out (for your nerd heart):
Kaiser, W., et al. (1983). Sleep in honey bees
Sauer, S., Herrmann, E., & Kaiser, W. (2004). Sleep deprivation in honey bees leads to impaired waggle dancing
Klein, B.A., et al. (2008). Sleep and memory in bees
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