However, there are significant differences between our sleeping patterns and a rabbit’s, and it can be confusing to figure theirs out. This post aims to squash any confusion and make you a better bunny parent. So keep on reading. We now know that the rabbit sleeping patterns are entirely different to hours, but that's not the only difference when it comes to how rabbits sleep. Their sleep cycles are as well different, and for the same reasons stated above. There are many herbs in different forms that can have an effect on stress and thus relax, but it is important not to treat without medical advice from an exotic vet Unlike nocturnal animals, a diurnal animal is most active in the daytime. With that said, this doesn’t mean your rabbit automatically adapts to your lifestyle, as this process takes time. Your rabbit is still likely to spend the majority of the day sleeping, unlike other pets.

You see, even house rabbits tend to prefer a peaceful place, usually darker (but not always), and somewhere warm to snuggle up. That being said, there’s as much of a possibility of your rabbit taking a snooze somewhere out in the open, like the sofa. With all of that in mind, we should point out that it is not necessary to cover the cage and if you decide not to, your rabbit will suffer no ill effects.There is no reason why you shouldn’t give your rabbit a blanket or an old towel to snuggle up to. Many domesticated rabbits love to have these in their cage.

Because people see rabbits sleeping during the day, many assume that they are nocturnal – awake all night. But they aren’t. Crepuscular comes from a Latin word meaning ‘twilight’. This is the time of day (at both dawn and dusk) that rabbits feel most secure feeding and being active. Consider it a compliment when your rabbit sleeps with eyes closed, and if they sleep with their eyes open, it’s merely a bunny thing they do. How Do You Know When a Rabbit Is Sleeping? However, some rabbits may sleep more or less than 8 hours a day. It really depends on the individual rabbit and its needs. They can breathe fine even when their nose doesn’t wiggle, but a twitching nose helps the rabbit sniff out their environment as their scent glands are stimulated. The EarsYou might think your rabbit never sleeps because they never close their eyes, but in reality they’re sneaking a nap right in front of you. 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.

Often this will be somewhere dark and quiet that will instinctively remind them of a safe underground burrow. Studies on Rabbit Sleep DurationTire your rabbit out. Allow your rabbit several hours of exercise before bed. If it tires itself out in the evening, then it’ll be more likely to relax at night. While a rabbit and predator can cross paths at dusk and dawn, most predators don’t see so well in low light conditions. Domesticated rabbits still have this protective instinct, and that’s why they sleep at odd times. Where Do Rabbits Sleep? Slow breathing. If you can get close enough to your rabbit, you’ll notice that its breathing rate drops while asleep. 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. A good way to tell your rabbit is sleeping (whether his eyes are open or not) is when his nose twitches really slowly instead of at the regular rate. That’s a dead giveaway, especially when all the other signs point to him being awake.

Pet rabbits have a life expectancy of 8-12 years. This number will change a little depending on the breed of rabbit and the quality of care they receive. Wild rabbits have a much shorter life expectancy of only about 1-2 years. Why do rabbits wiggle their noses? Rabbits nap frequently during the day and night to make up for their quota. The longest I’ve seen a rabbit sleep (in one stint) is around 20 minutes. (This was a deep sleep with his eyes shut, and I’m going to assume he was dreaming because his legs were twitching). How Do You Know a Rabbit is Sleeping if His Eyes Are Open? A National Geographic study from their July 2011 issue titled “40 Winks?” estimated that rabbits need around 8.4 hours of sleep per day. Other studies estimate their average sleep duration at over 11 hours. With this number being so similar to humans, it’s easy to think that you could go to bed and wake up around the same time together; however, you’ll find that rabbits have a much different sleep schedule than humans, as detailed in the next section. Photo by fotografierende on Unsplash When Do Rabbits Sleep? A flopped rabbit can be a little scary for a first time rabbit caretaker because it can appear that the rabbit has fallen over and died. But it is actually a very high compliment coming from a rabbit. A rabbit won’t flop over to go to sleep unless they feel completely comfortable in their environment. They are usually less responsive to external stimuli in this position and go into a deeper sleep. You might think that your bun doesn't have to hide or run away from any chasing animals because he's safe inside your home, but the truth is that he's got the same behavior patterns as his wild ancestors and his natural instincts are still there. Domestic rabbits still have - at least to a certain extent - that same evolutionary instincts as their brothers living into the wild. Avoiding Danger

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As a pet owner, particularly if you have house rabbits, you have probably noticed that your rabbit seems a lot more active at either end of the day. A rabbit sleeping is the cutest thing ever, but it isn’t easy to tell when your rabbit is actually fast asleep. Other studies also show similar results (eg in one study the rabbits averaged nearly 10 hours a day asleep). How do you know when a rabbit is sleeping?