“The road was so busy the Lil boy was slow!

Then a guy held his hands and told let’s go!

They crossed with confidence and that’s that!

Then the boy looked stumped at the guy as blind as a bat!”

One of the cool features of many automatic cars is the cruise control!

You set a speed and then foot off the pedal! If the road is free and wide and the distance is long then nothing left to do!

Which is when folks get sleepy!

Then again there are some who can sleep in such speeds even apparently with one eyes closed!

That is super cool!

read on!

Road trips are fun especially when you are not alone and done with family! The constant chatter and talk and the amazing music makes you peppy!

In case you are driving which I personally love to do; the most important thing is that you are alert and that you do not sleep!

When the song is peppy and the music is loud and you have just started then it is really ok! The issue is usually driving after a full meal (which of course I avoid! The full meal that is!)! That is when the chance of sleeping is high! You also cannot put songs which may put you to sleep!

Of course now if you are a responsible driver, it is unlikely that you will sleep or if you are sleep, it is always better to take a break and a short nap before you proceed. Unless of course you are in a hurry!

Another important thing is that if there is a passenger sitting in the front seat then he or she MUST not fall asleep! Only then he or she should sit in the front along with the driver! 

Many times we have seen children or old people sitting in the front seat and falling asleep; this is very dangerous since then the driver has a tendency of falling asleep too! Of course it depends on the driver and the road and several other points but the fact of the matter is that all it needs is one incident! So it is always better to be careful!

In highway drives and in very comfortable seats the tendency of falling asleep is always there! Which is probably why the driver’s seat in many buses are not very comfortable by choice!

Which brings us to the observation of this species which can ride night long and continuously without falling or having an accident!

In fact this species can sleep on the top of a tree without falling!

Yes! The bird!

Most birds are diurnal, meaning they’re awake during the day and asleep at night. These species will find something to perch on, like a branch or a windowsill, for the night. Then, the bird will fluff out its down feathers, turn its head around, tuck its beak into its back feathers, and pull one leg up to its belly before falling asleep. If you think that is not comfortable then well it is not for you but for the bird you see!

The position is actually, quite warm for the snoozing bird. Down feathers, the short fluffy feathers under the sleek outer ones, hold in heat. The bare parts of the bird (the beak and the legs) are tucked in to keep warm under the thick blanket of feathers as temperatures drop for the night!

Also it is very unlikely that roosting birds will fall from their perch! When the bird 

places weight on its feet, the muscles in the leg force the tendons of the feet to tighten, keeping the foot closed! This gives the bird a vice-like grip around any branch it may be resting on, so the bird doesn’t slip off. The grip is fixed and then they can have a shut eye without any harm!

Then again, the birds just cannot sleep off! The nature is a dangerous place and sleep is a luxury! 

The first important thing is that unless they are in a state of torpor, birds tend to sleep in small snatches until startled awake either by a predatory threat, neighbor, or cold conditions!

Another amazing thing is that some can even sleep with one eye open, as half of their brain is alert while the other is asleep!

This is called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) and it allows the sleeping bird to spring into action quickly from rest if a threat approaches while still being able to satisfactorily rest if no threat arises!

Ducks and waterfowl are particularly good at this, though other birds such as Peregrine Falcons and Eurasian Blackbirds can do this as well.

Species that use this adaptation may even be able to sleep while flying!

The long migration flights of many species don’t allow for many chances to stop and rest. But a bird using USWS could both sleep and navigate at the same time. There is evidence that the Alpine Swift can fly non-stop for 200 days, sleeping while in flight! 

And you thought sleeping on a comfortable seat with the sheet and low light on a flight for couple of hours is a great achievement! It is of course since I feel it is ridiculously uncomfortable to sleep in the flight! If only we had USWS! Then again sleep is not your cup of tea, Mr Bond! Of course that was not me! But celebrity Dame Judith Olivia Dench! Only she can take on anyone without any fear!

Now close both your eyes and sleep!

Shubh Ratri!