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When Do Rabbits Sleep? 5 Signs They’re Asleep

Do you ever wonder when do rabbits sleep? Well, they usually sleep deeply at noon and in the middle of the night.

You have to take note that bunnies need to sleep for about eight hours per day. Furthermore, you now know that rabbits are crepuscular, which means they are most active in dust and dawn.

When Do Rabbits Sleep

Yes, just like humans do.

If you observe that it isn’t reaching its proper hours of sleep, seek medical help.

But why?

when do rabbits sleep

It is because not having enough sleep means that your bunny is experiencing some medical problems you have to attend immediately.

Rabbits sleep with their eyes wide open, so it would be difficult for you to distinguish if they are awake or not.

This blog post will tell more about the time when do rabbits sleep.

If you want to know more, keep scrolling!

When And How Bunnies Sleep?

So, when do rabbits sleep?

Bunnies are sure to sleep during the day, and they are nocturnal.

Like the deer, they are crepuscular, which only means that rabbits are most active during dusk and dawn.

Here’s a fun fact:

Crepuscular comes from the Latin word crepusculum which means twilight.

So, when are bunnies usually most active?

You can notice that a bun is full of energy every 8 PM.

As a piece of advice, the best time for you to play with your furry friend is early in the morning and also early in the evening.

In specific terms, rabbits sleep from 4 to 9 AM and 5 to 11 PM. This precise information will usually vary in terms of location, time of the year, and your pet’s personality.

when do rabbits sleep

Rabbits have the behavior of sleeping in short naps rather than sleeping in an extended period.

And if you are wondering how rabbits sleep, they do it with their eyes open. Yep, you read it right; their eyes are wide open.

Though not all of the rabbits do that, some sleep with eyes only half-closed.

Depending on how safe they feel the place is, the sleeping habit will always depend on your bun’s personality.

How To Tell If A Rabbit Is Sleeping?

If your bun is having its good night’s sleep, it usually lies on its stomach, given that its back legs are stretched out or even sideways.

You can see your furry friend sleep in an upright position.

Do you want to be sure if it is sleeping?

Then try to check its ears.

If you see that both of the ears are folded down on its head, your pet is sleeping. Amazing, right?

Here are other indicators if your bun is sleeping or not:

#1. Nose stops twitching

The very first thing that you can notice is that the rabbit’s nose twitching comes to a halt.

It only happens if your pet is sound asleep because the more alert your bun is, the more twitching it makes.

#2. Slowly breathing

Since you are a pet owner, you are sure to be familiar with how fast your pet normally breathes.

 

Slowed-down breathing indicates that your furry friend is sleeping.

#3. Snoring

Another thing that you will notice is that you can hear it snoring.

Let me tell you a story about Thumper, my bunny.

I was sweeping the floor, and everything in the house was quiet enough that you can even hear the needle falling on the floor.

How To Tell If A Rabbit Is Sleeping

All I heard was grunting and rasping sounds, so I looked for the possible culprit.

Then, I went to Thumper’s cage, and I was surprised that he was the one who made the noises. I watched him as he slept, and I couldn’t hide my smile at how cute sounds he made.

#4. Relaxed ears

When a rabbit is awake and alert, its ears will be bolted upright, listening to every sound possible for it to hear.

If you see that a bun’s ears are relaxed and lying on its head that is another indicator of it sleeping.

#5. Dreaming

In case of a deep sleep, you can see your furry friend move or twitch its eyelids, ears, tail, or mouth. How cute!

How To Make A Bunny Make Less Noise At Night?

Rabbits are noisy when they are asleep! As a rabbit owner, you should know how to improvise. You have to let your pet have a good sleep at night as well. 

You can train it to make lesser noise at night because it is undoubtedly annoying if you are too tired even to move an inch. Here’s what you should know if you’re a newbie:

You would surely be up for a few hours because of the noise when the bunny play, and hop around its cage.

Well, you must know that rabbits won’t sleep even if we want them to (because they have their instincts to follow).

It is their natural biology to sleep when they only want, and we cannot override that fact.

The following are the steps you can take to make your pet make a lesser noise during nighttime:

Step #1. Tire out your rabbit

Before going to bed, allow your bun to have exercised so that it will tire itself out when evening comes. This action will allow you to rest at night, for your furry friend is also fast asleep.

Thumper is sure to be noisy at night (like a lot of noise!). I can hear him banging his cage and even making weird chewing sounds.

After a few nights of consecutive noise, I decided to tire him out. I let him play and hop as much as he wants to, and now, he is always tired at night (letting me sleep well).

Step #2. Do not keep your rabbit permanently in a cage

The noisy behaviors that your bun is making are generated because of boredom, such as chewing and digging.

How To Make A Bunny Make Less Noise At Night

If you have enough space for it to hop around, put your bun there to make sure it does not engage in noisy activities.

Step #3. Place a blanket over the cage

I bet you are wondering why? This action will help so that your bunny can stay calm (and it is time to rest).

Step #4. Maintain a firm routine

Let your pet understand when the proper playtime is.

It is not that easy for you to teach it, but you can surely achieve it in time and patience.

The best that you can do is to be patient in teaching it to be beneficial in the end.

Rabbits are adorable when they are asleep, and in this blog post, I am sure that I provided you with adequate information on how to know if your bunny is fast asleep.

Conclusion

When do rabbits sleep? Rabbits mostly sleep in the night and in noo. It will still depend on your rabbit’s behavior, location, and climate.

Rabbits make noise when they are sleeping. Through training, you can teach them to make less noise when asleep. This requires patience and persistence. 

Don’t haste and let your bunny learn and improve gradually. 

We surely hope that this post successfully offered you the right information and good luck in training your furry friend to be less noisy at night!

Thank you for reading!

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