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21 September 2026

Imagine being thousands of feet above the ocean, with nowhere to land, and becoming sleepy.

That is not a problem for the great frigatebird.

These remarkable seabirds can remain in the air for days while travelling over the ocean. In 2016, scientists recorded the brain activity of great frigatebirds during long flights and confirmed something that sounds almost impossible: the birds can sleep while flying.

Sometimes one side of the brain sleeps while the other remains awake. At other times, both sides sleep.

They do not, however, sleep very much. During flight, the birds slept for only a small fraction of their time, usually in short periods, often while circling in rising air currents.

There is something wonderfully strange about that.

Most of us need a bed, a pillow and a quiet room before we can surrender to sleep.

The frigatebird simply finds a current of air, folds its attention inward for a moment, and keeps travelling.

Perhaps nature has a way of reminding us that there is more than one way to rest.

And sometimes, you can even rest without stopping.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com