system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 What is happening in a hibernating animal's body while they're resting over winter? Do they actually sleep or is some other process happening?
gpt
Yes, they go into a form of sleep. The animal's body temperature, heartbeat, and metabolism are reduced, this is why they store fat by feeding heavily to see them through the winter. A similar process, done by animals in hot climates trying to escape droughts or extreme heat is called aestivation.