Do flies sleep?

Do flies sleep? Yes, flies do sleep, though their sleep is different from human sleep. Studies on fruit flies, Drosophila, show they have sleep-like states with periods of inactivity, increased arousal threshold, and changes in brain activity, and they have circadian rhythms. Flies sleep mostly at night, with some siesta during day, and they need sleep for health, learning, and memory, and sleep-deprived flies have impaired performance similar to humans. They find sheltered spots to rest, often on ceilings, walls, or leaves, and become less responsive to stimuli during sleep. Their sleep is regulated by similar genes as human sleep. So flies do sleep, with daily sleep patterns, typically sleeping at night when it is dark and cooler, and taking short rests during day, with total sleep time varying by species, but common house flies sleep about several hours at night with periods of immobility and lowered responsiveness.