Rabbits are great pets and so many people become attached to them. You know that pet rabbits are very cute, but you might not know much else about them yet.
Perhaps you’re on the fence about buying a pet rabbit. You might like the idea of owning a pet rabbit, but you’re not sure if one will be right for your home or not.
Learning more about these little pets will help you to decide. For instance, you might be curious about what you need to do to make sure that rabbits can sleep comfortably in your home.
Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about rabbits and sleeping. This will help you to feel more prepared to bring a pet rabbit into your home.
Do Rabbits Sleep During the Day or Night?
Many people get confused about when rabbits sleep. They’re not normal nocturnal or diurnal animals.
These animals are actually more like deer in that they’re most active during the dusk to dawn hours. It’s normal for rabbits to sleep both during the day and at night.
A pet rabbit isn’t going to strictly adhere to the schedule that you keep. They aren’t like humans and they aren’t used to keeping the same hours that you do.
Commonly, you’ll find that rabbits will want to sleep deeply around noon. Then they’ll also sleep deeply during the middle of the night.
How Long Do They Sleep?
Pet rabbits are going to sleep between six and eight hours at a time. When your pet rabbit goes to sleep around noon it’ll likely stay asleep until sometime between 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
Rabbits also sleep during the middle of the night. A rabbit will go to sleep at some point during the night and then will wake up during the dawn.
Predicting the exact amount of time a rabbit will sleep can be tough. Just know that they generally sleep for six to eight hours at a time.
Do Rabbits Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
You’ll find that rabbits do indeed sleep with their eyes open. This might seem very strange at first, but they have a practical reason for doing this.
Rabbits have evolved to sleep with their eyes open so they can be ready to run at a moment’s notice. Since rabbits are prey animals they need to watch out for predators.
Sleeping with their eyes open acts as a type of defense mechanism. There are a few ways that this helps rabbits out.
It makes it so they can more easily respond to threats by remaining alert and reacting to predator attacks. This also makes it look like the rabbit is awake which might deter some predators from bothering them.
You might be freaked out by this at first if you’re new to caring for rabbits. Don’t be alarmed because sleeping with their eyes open is just something that bunnies do.
How to Make a Rabbit Sleep at Night
The best thing you can do to make your rabbit sleep at night is to give it an ideal environment. You want to make sure that the rabbit is very comfortable and that it feels safe in its cage.
To start, you want to make sure that you’re using high-quality bedding. The bed area should be filled with hay or an equivalent bedding material that the rabbit will enjoy.
It’s best to make sure that the cage has the appropriate dimensions for the rabbit’s size as well. Make sure that it has enough space while also being nice and cozy in the cage.
Covering the cage with a blanket to make it dark is wise as well. This helps the rabbit to feel safe and calm in the cage during the night.
It’s more likely that a rabbit will sleep or at least rest during the night if you take these steps. Also, try to put the rabbit in a spot where it’s as quiet as possible.
Rabbits get rather startled by sudden noises. A rabbit might start thumping or will otherwise make a ruckus if it hears a loud noise.
Since rabbits are prey animals they don’t always feel safe when they hear sudden noises. They might be worried that something is coming to get them.
You simply have to try to alleviate these concerns by giving the rabbits the most quiet environment possible. Some people have taken to using white noise machines to try to keep rabbits feeling peaceful throughout the night.
Do Rabbits Snore?
You might notice your rabbit snoring, but not all rabbits will snore. Snoring is something that seems to happen when rabbits are overweight.
It’s also more common for rabbits to snore when they get older. A slightly overweight rabbit or an elderly rabbit will be more likely to snore.
The cause of snoring in rabbits is the palate. When rabbits have a palate that is soft and a bit floppy, it’ll cause snoring issues.
This is honestly not much different from the reasons why some humans snore. It’s the same sort of situation.
You might be able to help the rabbit by getting it down to a healthy weight. Remember that it’s not good for rabbits to be overweight since it can cause a number of different health issues.
Do They Yawn?
It’s very likely that you’ll notice your rabbit yawning sometimes. Much like humans, rabbits will yawn when they start to feel sleepy.
This is something that many types of animals do. A rabbit yawns when it’s feeling tired or when it’s lethargic or lazy.
Some people think that yawning might help to increase blood flow to the brain, but the jury is out on that. It might be a method that the rabbit uses to try to make itself more alert.
Yawning is a way to try to “shake off the sleepy feelings,” so to speak. Whatever the case is, you should think of yawning in rabbits as something that is similar to human yawning.
Why Is My Rabbit Noisy at Night?
Rabbits aren’t always going to sleep through the night. Sometimes you might hear your rabbit being noisy at night.
This can be kind of annoying because you’re trying to sleep through the night. You might hear your rabbit whimpering or thumping at night for various reasons.
Rabbits will make noise at night when they’re scared. Loud noises might scare them and they also might get frightened if they hear a predatory animal.
For example, barking dogs could easily scare rabbits and cause them to start thumping. This is why it’s wise to try to make the rabbit’s area as quiet as possible.
If you can, it’d be best to make it hard for the rabbit to hear what is going on outside. This is the best way to keep it quiet during the night.
Rabbits will sometimes be noisy during the night simply because they’re bored or lonely. In this situation, the rabbit might simply want your attention.
Try to do your best to keep your rabbit comfortable and quiet at night. It might not always work, but all you can do is try to keep your rabbit comfortable.
Final Thoughts
Now you know that rabbits sleep for roughly eight hours at a time. They get sleepy around noon and are known for sleeping during the day.
These pets will also sleep a little bit at night. To get them to relax and rest during the night it’s best to cover their cages.
Cover the rabbit cage with a blanket to keep things dark. Try to keep the area near the rabbit cage as quiet as possible.
Rabbits sometimes make noise during the night when they’re disturbed. They might also do this when they’re simply bored.
Some people get annoyed when rabbits won’t sleep through the night or remain quiet. If you give the rabbit an ideal environment where it can be comfortable, that will make a huge difference.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.