The fact is that many animals sleep standing up. The bulk of large animals like horses and elephants causes pressure against their ribs when they lie down, making breathing difficult. In these animals, the leg joints lock automatically when they relax, allowing them to be stable even when asleep. In the case of birds, the tendons in the leg cause the toes to automatically curl around a limb when the bird perches. Birds can be asleep and the leg will stay anchored to the branch. It is only when the bird lifts from the perch position that the leg tendons relax the foot's grip on the limb. In a bat, it is the pull of the weight of the animal on the tendon that locks the foot on its perch.

Humans find it hard to imagine sleeping in a standing or hanging position, but that is because the design of our body does not allow us to be secure in those positions. Such a simple thing as the position in which we sleep is a reflection of the incredible design that is built into all living things, but it is just a small part of the numerous systems which are all necessary for the survival of life. Attributing such complexity to chance requires a faith far beyond the belief of a designing God who carefully provided for all forms of life to live even though the conditions under which that life exists are highly varied.

This article taken from: Does God Exist?, May/June 1996

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