Hobbies And Interests
Sleeping Volume
Polar bears sleep about eight to nine hours per day, but they still take occasional naps as needed. The polar bear expels a great deal of energy hunting and seeking out food, so getting enough rest is vital to its survival. If the polar bear is not resting, it is actively hunting for food or trying to mate. When the bears are on the ice during the summer, they tend to hunt at night more often and sleep during the day because seals are more active at night.
Bedding
The polar bear will sleep anywhere, anytime and on anything that it wants. Polar bears have been known to dig out a hole in the snow and ride out a blizzard by letting the snow cover them like a blanket. The thick 4-inch layer of fat under their skin protects them and keeps them warm. Polar bears also create dens along ridges or snow banks to sleep in. Occasionally, a polar bear simply lies down on the ice and snoozes away.
Hibernation
Polar bears do not hibernate as a general rule unless they are pregnant. Even a pregnant female does not hibernate like a black bear or grizzly. A pregnant female dens up like a regular bear, but she does not go into a deep sleep and drop her body temperature like a typical bear. She sleeps, but keeps her body temperature up to help with the pregnancy, birth and nursing of her cubs. The female will give birth right there in the den before hibernation is over. She will stay with the cubs until they are two years old.
Dangers while sleeping
The polar bear is the apex predator in its range. The only threats that polar bears face come from human beings or other polar bears. Male polar bears have been known to attack and eat young bears, though the female rarely allows them to get close enough to do so. Man is the only real threat to the polar bear, so they sleep soundly with nothing to fear in the wild.