A Guide to Rabbits Sleeping

Since they’re prey animals, rabbits have evolved to have very specific sleeping habits to keep them safe. 

Pet rabbits sleep in a variety of positions depending on their personality and how comfortable they feel.

A healthy, happy rabbit will sleep for between 6 and 12 hours each day.

Rabbits sleep for short periods, rather than in one long stretch like we do. This is because they are prey animals and in the wild, they need to keep an eye on their surroundings for signs of predators.

Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they’re mostly awake around dawn and dusk. They can also be quite active overnight.

Since rabbits are prey animals, they will quite often sleep with their eyes open so they can stay aware of their surroundings and detect movement.

Let's look at the 3 main rabbit sleeping positions: Flopped, Sploot, and Loaf

A flop is when a bunny will sort of launch themselves onto their side from a standing position. When they hit the floor they’re all nicely stretched out on their side.

Flopped

If a rabbit is very relaxed, they will often lie sprawled out. They will lie on their front and stretch their back legs, paws, and tail out behind them. 

Sploot/Sprawled

Rabbits will quite often tuck their little paws under their body and relax their head, making them look like a little fluffy loaf of bread.

Loaf

So, if your rabbit has their eyes open when they're sleeping, how do you tell if they're asleep?

Signs your rabbit is asleep: Relaxed position Nose wiggling or still Slow breathing Relaxed ears Nodding off Dreaming Snoring

You can find out more about rabbit's sleep by clicking on the link below, (including how to encourage them to be quiet during the night).

 Find out more here