Do bats ever sleep at night?

Bats generally do not sleep at night because they are nocturnal animals that are most active at night and sleep during the day, but there are some exceptions depending on species, season, and weather. Most insect-eating bats in North America and Europe spend the day sleeping in roosts such as caves, attics, tree cavities, and under bridges, hanging upside down in dark, quiet, safe places where they are protected from predators and light. At dusk they emerge to hunt insects using echolocation, flying for several hours, then they may return to a night roost to rest briefly, groom, and digest between feeding bouts, but this is more of a short rest rather than deep daytime sleep. During the night, bats alternate between hunting and brief resting periods. However, during very cold weather, heavy rain, or strong winds that make flying difficult, bats may stay in their roosts and sleep through the night rather than forage. In winter, hibernating bats sleep for days to months at a time, including both day and night, with greatly reduced metabolism. Baby bats may sleep more frequently. So while bats primarily sleep during the day and are active at night, they do take short rests at night in night roosts, and they may sleep through the night during bad weather or hibernation. If you see a bat sleeping at night outside its normal roost, it may be sick or grounded and should be left alone and reported to animal control.