When do rabbits sleep

As prey animals, rabbits have been forced to adapt their sleep habits so that they will more easily become aware of danger quickly. This means it can be really difficult to tell when a rabbit is sleeping in the first place. You might not even know your rabbit is sleeping. Studies have found that rabbits will get around eight and a half hours of sleep in a day on average.

However, a rabbit that feels very safe and comfortable in their home environment will often get even more sleep closer to 12 hours a day. Instead rabbits are known for taking tiny naps throughout the day. Not all of this is deep sleep, though. Rabbits are able to drowse off for very short periods of time to help them get enough sleep. During these light drowsy periods, rabbits are able to snap back to reality very quickly. They can become aware and take off running in only a handful of seconds.

Even rabbits in a deep sleep are able to return to wakefulness pretty quickly. Periods of deep sleep are typically longer than their light sleeping sessions unless they are startled awake by something. Rabbits are not nocturnal active at night or diurnal active during the day animals. Instead they are classified as crepuscular. This means that rabbits are actually most active around the dim light hours of dusk and dawn.

In the wild, being crepuscular gives rabbits a small advantage over some of their main predators. Nocturnal animals, such as owls, have trouble seeing before the hours of darkness.

Rabbits are able to limit their confrontations with both types of predators by being most active in the hours between darkness and light. This does not mean that rabbits are only active during dawn and dusk, though. They often have occasional short bursts of energy during the day between some of their longer sleep sessions. So rabbits do sleep at night and during the day, but generally not straight through.

They will take many short naps interspersed with active periods for eating and playing. The best thing you can do to help your rabbit maintain a natural sleep schedule is to give them as much natural light as possible.

Because of their crepuscular nature and their tendency to take naps all day long, rabbits are already capable of sleeping with the light on, in darkness, or anywhere in between. Instead, keep them in a room that receives some natural light.

Their instincts will keep them on a regular sleep schedule. Rooms with some sunlight are also good because you can open a window to give your rabbit access to UVB rays that will help them from becoming Vitamin D deficient.

Rabbits can, and often do, sleep with their eyes open. They sleep with their eyes closed too, but usually rabbits will only close their eyes when they are sleeping if they feel very safe and comfortable. Rabbits are able to keep their eyes open for such long periods of time because they have a thin, transparent membrane, called the third eyelid, over top of each of their eyes.

Rabbits keep their eyes open because their light receptors will keep working and sending signals to their brain as they are sleeping. This is very important in the wild. They will be able to snap into motion much quicker than if they had their eyes closed. Pet rabbits in our homes are much more likely to feel safe.

This is a sign that your rabbit feels safe and happy at home. Rabbits have three main sleeping positions: loafing, sprawling, and flopping. Our bunnies all have their own personality and preferences. The three most common rabbit sleeping positions are as follows:. Most rabbits choose to sleep in the loaf position. This helps it to feel more secure as it can quickly get up and run in the event of danger. A rabbit sleeping in the rug or flop positions is relaxed.

These are the positions in which your rabbit will likely close its eyes completely. Rabbits are neither nocturnal active during the night nor diurnal active during the day. Instead, they are crepuscular. This means that they are most active in the morning and during the evening. This is an evolutionary mechanism first seen in wild European rabbits. Dawn and dusk are when the sun is lowest in the sky.

This is when visibility is the poorest for both nocturnal and diurnal predators. Rabbits that are active when the sun is at its lowest can hide from predators easily.

Usually, rabbits are most alert between am and pm. This is when they have the most energy. Rabbits also sleep in two main phases. The first snooze occurs from late morning to afternoon, and the second is in the middle of the night. The rest of the time, your bun will be nibbling on food, napping or relaxing.

So, do rabbits sleep at night? Yes, but not all night long. Like humans, rabbits sleep for an average of 8 hours per day. But rather than taking all their sleep at once, rabbits have two main snoozes and several short naps. A checkup should reveal whether there are any medical problems to blame. Rabbits can sleep just as comfortably in the light. Often preceded by a round of intense faux digging at the floor, your rabbit may proceed to throw all four legs out to one side in a tremendous flop.

With all their evolutionary adaptations, rabbits are unique and wonderful creatures indeed. Thanks for reading, and we wish you many bunny flops in your future! She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.

Skip to content. Nicole Cosgrove. May 17 Where do Rabbits Sleep? How Much do Rabbits Sleep? When do Rabbits Sleep? Related Posts. May 28th, Pet Sitting vs.

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