We all love to sleep in peace.But are we really that secure when we think about it? Rabbits, including the ones we so lovingly raise in the comforts of our homes, do not seem to think so.If we were under constant fear of something happening to us or something attacking us, we would hesitate to just drop our guards and sleep no matter how tired we may be.Having pets is in some ways similar to having children of our own. We provide them with food, shelter, and love. We want to show them all our love and care. Moreover, we want them to feel safe with us. We make them the best homes. We could just sit and watch them sleep comfortably, not worrying about anyone attacking them.Among the wide variety of pets people keep across the globe, one cute and fluffy choice is bunnies. If you can see your rabbit sleeping, you should be proud of yourself. You must have done a good job in making it feel at home. If you are a new rabbit parent or are planning to get rabbits, you probably are looking to learn more about them.Don’t worry! We’re here to help you. Did you know that a rabbit sleeps mostly during the daytime? They are crepuscular animals. This means that they are most awake during the twilight hours. You might find a rabbit sleeping throughout the afternoon. If you have had the chance, you might have seen rabbits sleeping with their open eyes.Now, you might be wondering how a sleeping rabbit has its eyes open. Are they even sleeping if they have their eyes open? Well, this leads us to another question. Do rabbits sleep with their eyes open? Yes, it turns out that they do. Rabbits’ eyes are kind of magical. They can close their eyes and sleep and still see what is going on with the same set of eyes, which is like a superpower we can only dream of.Let’s see how a sleeping rabbit looks like, how to make sure the rabbit is sleeping, and why a rabbit sleeping in your house is something to give yourself credit for.Some rabbit facts are indeed surprising, aren’t they? If you are interested in this article why not also read more articles about rabbits like do rabbits hibernate, or do rabbits make noise here on Kidadl?Do rabbits sleep during the day?Since they are prey animals for a large number of predators, rabbits have adapted their senses to be highly alert to watch for predators, whether they are out in the wild, confined in a cage, or safe in your home.You should provide your domesticated rabbits with a calm environment, with a comfortable space for your pet bunny to ensure it feels safe and receives adequate sleep. Rabbits are most active during the hours of dusk and dawn when it is slightly dark. This gives rabbits a slight advantage over some of their main predators in the wild.Nocturnal predators, such as owls, have difficulty seeing before the hours of darkness. Furthermore, diurnal creatures, such as eagles and hawks, hunt during the day and cannot see well at night. Rabbits reduce their encounters with both types of predators by being most active between the hours of dusk and dawn. However, this does not imply that rabbits are only active at twilight hours.Between some of their larger sleep bouts, they typically have small spurts of energy during the day. Rabbits sleep both at night and during the day, but not continuously. They take a lot of brief naps, with active moments for feeding and playing in between.Due to this nature, most rabbits are ready for playtime at night after sleeping through the day. Your bunny is most likely to be active right after sunset. You may be eager to train your rabbit to stay awake during the day and sleep at night, but that will go against its natural instincts and you may find this difficult. Sleeping rabbits may lie on their stomach, spread out, or lie sideways, with their rear legs stretched out behind them. If you want to know if a rabbit is asleep, check your rabbit’s ears. When they are awake, rabbits have their ears upright. A sleeping rabbit has its ears usually folded down on its head.Do rabbits blink their eyes?Rabbits blink only 10-12 times each hour. This is lower when compared to humans, who blink 10-20 times every minute.Rabbits have a thin membrane covering their eyes called the third eyelid. With this third eyelid, it is fine if they do not blink as frequently as humans do. You can’t see this membrane because it is translucent. This third eyelid keeps a rabbit’s eye moist while also protecting it from dust and debris.Rabbits also can sleep with their eyes open. They do so frequently too. They can also sleep with their eyes closed as well. However, rabbits normally close their eyes while sleeping only if they feel that they are quite safe.So, while you may believe (and maybe worry) your rabbit never sleeps since it never closes its eyes, it is actually napping right in front of your eyes. Your rabbit may appear to be in a deep sleep, but it immediately wakes up if it is disturbed. This is because the rabbit’s brain continues to send signals to other parts of its body, resulting in eye movements, heavy breathing, and alertness.Your pet rabbit may show involuntary twitching, which is common. Also, rapid eye movement is pretty common in sleeping bunnies. Your pet rabbit’s eyes might be open when it is asleep. Your bunny may also fall to the ground and lie on its side as if it has lost strength in its body. This may be alarming if you are a new bunny owner, but you will get used to it because it happens frequently.How do rabbits sleep in the wild?Rabbits, on average, get about eight and a half hours of sleep per day, according to studies.A rabbit that feels safe and secure in its home surroundings, on the other hand, often sleeps even more, up to 12 hours a day. Our pet rabbits do not sleep for 8-12 hours at a stretch. They, on the other hand, are notorious for taking little naps throughout the day. They may get a few extra hours of sleep now and again.Rabbits that live in the wild dig tunnels in the ground to use as houses. A network of rabbit burrows is called a warren, which includes spaces for the rabbit to sleep and breed. In warrens, rabbits make multiple openings to their burrow so that they can escape quickly if there is any kind of danger.According to the Young People’s Trust for the Environment, a rabbit may dig its burrow as deep as 9 ft (2.7 m) underground. Although the average depth is as low as 3 ft (91.4 cm). Most rabbits have to keep their eyes open in the wild since they need the light receptors to continue working. When a predator is in sight, the signals still reach the rabbit’s brain, allowing it to react much faster in times of danger than if its eyes were closed.Keeping their eyes open also serves as a deterrent to predators. A predator is less inclined to attack an animal that appears to be awake. A rabbit may attempt to convince their predators to pursue easier prey by keeping its eyes open.Pet rabbits sleep almost anywhere they want. If you wish to provide a safe and pleasant sleeping area in your home for your rabbit, try recreating a burrow environment by making it dark and with plenty of soft bedding. This may encourage them to go to bed at the same time every night and maintain a healthy sleep routine.Should you worry if your rabbit sleeps with its eyes open?There are some tell-tale signs in a pet rabbit’s behavior that will let you know when a rabbit is sleeping.If its nose stops twitching completely, your rabbit is most likely asleep. They also frequently twitch or murmur a little while moving their mouths around while sleeping. Their ears are also going to be relaxed down their backs.Rabbits sleep in three different positions. They may sometimes curl up into a ball and probably sleep with their eyes open. A rabbit may also spread out or lay on its sides if it’s feeling safe and secure. In various positions, a rabbit may opt whether or not to close its eyelids. This is completely normal and natural. You need not worry if you see your rabbit sleeping with its eyes closed or open.It is ok to be worried about your rabbit and its sleeping habits. Some signs that can help you confirm if your rabbit is sleeping include snoring, relaxed ears, twitching body parts, slow breathing, and no wiggling of the nose.Not all rabbits always sleep with their eyes open. Some bunnies sleep with their eyes closed completely or partially. It depends on the personality of your rabbit and how secure it feels. Some rabbits never close their eyes when sleeping. This is most likely the reason your bunny appears like it never sleeps.If they do not feel safe, even rabbits who normally sleep with their eyes closed sleep with their eyes opened. Their instincts warn them that a predator could show up at any moment and attack. Unless your rabbit has built a strong attachment and trust with you, it is unlikely that it will sleep with its eyes closed when you are around.Even so, some rabbits simply prefer to sleep with their eyes open.If you wish to make your rabbit fall asleep, there are certain measures you can take. These include maintaining a playtime routine, providing adequate exercise opportunities, providing them with toys to keep them engaged, and removing noisy toys and other items that can disturb your rabbit’s sleep. Making your rabbit sleep like this would help them have a healthy sleep schedule.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Do rabbits sleep with their eyes open? See if your bunny is asleep, then why not take a look at what is a baby rabbit called, or domestic rabbit lifespan.
We all love to sleep in peace.
