In southeastern Texas where I live, it gets cold now and then, but rarely freezes. Right now I’m spending the holidays in New Mexico where it gets colder. I see snow through the window. My breath makes smoke clouds when I go outside. I need a hat and thick socks. This weather makes me want to sleep late.

Bears also sleep more in the winter. A lot more. They snooze for an entire seven months, all day and all night, in a state called hibernation. If you were a bear you’d miss Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day. No food, no water, no holiday parties.

However, I can see that if I had to live outdoors without food when it’s really really cold, curling up in a hole and nodding off until it got warm might be a good idea.

While researching my book A BEAR’S YEAR , which follows a mother bear and her cub through the seasons, I watched a lot of bear videos.  Here are some of my favorite about the time of the year when bears sleep and dream.

This one shows a mother bear and cubs getting ready to hibernate and explains beautifully why and how bears hibernate.

Here is a bear preparing his den for the winter. He spends an awfully long time gathering leaves, but it’s worth watching all the way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlThdzKXjQQ

Here is Spirit Bear hibernating…

…and then waking up in the Spring!

Scientists believe that bears dream like we do. Sleeping as much as they do, they must have a lot of dreams. Maybe that’s why the Cherokee people say bears are the keepers of dreams.

As for me, I’m thankful I can stay awake to experience the season, as well as sleep in when I want to dream a little longer.

Wishing you a Happy 2017!