Gorillas treasure their rest and therefore mind a great deal about where they spend their nights. Gorillas sleep in nests which they make every day in a process called “nesting”. Nesting involves great efforts which include gathering materials like leaves and ticks which are laced together to form the perfect bed for the perfect rest. Every member in the family builds his own nest apart from the breastfeeding babies which have to sleep with their mothers.

Nests may either be built above in the tree or on the ground. Gorillas prefer the ground more than the trees but due to a number of circumstances like safety threats from predators and hunters, they may decide to build nests in the trees but bearing in mind that the branches can accommodate their weight for over ten (10) hours of sleep. The heavier silverbacks find it challenging to find fine spot to nest in the tree because of their great weight. Throughout the night, individual gorillas rest peacefully while the alpha and other silverbacks often wake up to ensure that the family is secure from attackers.

Nests are normally constructed starting from around 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm as the sun goes down and dismantled in the morning because gorillas will never sleep in the same nest for more than one night. Sometimes during the midday naps and late afternoon naps they make new but less sophisticated nets