Final answer:
Different animals have distinct sleep-wake cycles due to circadian rhythms, which are 24-hour cycles of behavior and physiological processes. Nocturnal animals like rats are active at night, which could be an adaptation to avoid predators or to access food. Humans tend to be diurnal, sleeping at night and struggling to sleep during daylight.
Step-by-step explanation:
Animals exhibit different sleep-wake cycles, such as diurnal or nocturnal patterns, which are influenced by circadian rhythms. These rhythms are regular changes in biology or behavior that occur in a 24-hour cycle. While humans are generally diurnal, many rodents and other animals are active during the night. Nocturnal animals, such as rats, may have evolved this way due to factors like predation risks and feeding habits.
Animals like rats, which are more active at night, have circadian rhythms that differ from humans. This nocturnal behavior allows them to avoid predators and take advantage of different feeding opportunities that arise at night. Additionally, physiological processes are synchronized with these cycles, with the biological clock coordinating behavior and body processes based on environmental cues like light.
The variation in sleep-wake cycles among animals is also connected to evolutionary adaptations. For instance, nocturnal animals are believed to have adapted to nighttime activity to avoid predators or to exploit food sources that are more plentiful or accessible at night. Humans, on the other hand, typically feel sleepy after darkness falls and may have trouble sleeping during daylight, indicating our diurnal nature.