Penguins Snatch 11 Hours Of Sleep Through Seconds-long Micronaps

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus), named for the thin black band of plummage that extends from ear to ear, may be the most abundant species of penguin (Credit: AFP)

In humans, nodding off for a few seconds is a clear sign of insufficient sleep -- and can be dangerous in some situations, such as when driving a car.

But a new study published on Thursday finds chinstrap penguins snooze thousands of times per day, accumulating their daily sleep requirement of more than 11 hours in short bursts averaging just four seconds.