Many people believe that rabbits are nocturnal animals because they always see them sleeping during the day. They think if these creatures sleep so much during the day, then they should automatically be active at night. However, the truth is that they are crepuscular animals, which are animals that are active at dusk and dawn. This means an average rabbit has enough time to get a good night’s sleep. They sleep about 7-12 hours and average 8 hours a day.
Many people now wonder if rabbits dream when they sleep, what they dream about, how long they dream, how to know when they are dreaming, and if they have nightmares like humans. If you are also looking for answers to these questions, grab a sit because the answers are in this article. To find out whether rabbits dream or not, we need to look at a rabbit’s sleep patterns and cycle.
Sleeping and Waking Patterns of Rabbits
Knowing a rabbit’s sleeping and waking pattern can help you identify when they are awake, asleep, and sound asleep. This allows us to predict when the rabbit will dream. The following are the sleep and activity patterns of rabbits:
Dawn
As we said before, rabbits are crepuscular animals. Therefore, they are very active at this time of day. They walk, eat and play during this time.
Morning
Rabbits remain active, but quickly become less active and rest.
Afternoon
Rabbits are less active in the afternoon. They are deep and sound sleepers, and this is when they are most likely to dream.
Evening
Towards evening the rabbits wake up from sleep, defecate and continue to eat
Dusks
Similar to dawn, their energy levels rise at dusk and they become very active. They move, eat, play, and do all other activities.
Night/Midnight
They remain very active from dusk to night, but when night falls they get tired and begin to rest. At midnight, they are less active and are often seen asleep. Dreams can also occur at this time.
Rabbit Sleep Cycles
Rabbits are mammals and most mammals dream. This is because they exhibit what we call REM sleep. REM sleep is short for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It is during this REM sleep that mammals dream. The good news is that rabbits are also REM sleepers like humans and many other mammals. That’s why they dream like other mammals. To find out when they enter this REM sleep, let’s look at rabbits’ sleep cycles. The sleep cycle consists of two phases. Light phase sleep and deep phase sleep.
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The Light Sleep Phase
This is the first stage of sleep that the rabbit must reach before entering deep sleep. Rabbits spend about 70% of their sleep during this phase.
This phase is further divided into three stages
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Stage 1
At this stage, the rabbit goes from wakefulness to sleep. This is called the light sleep stage because the rabbit wakes up easily and doesn’t fall asleep until the first 5-10 minutes after sleeping.
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Stage 2
This stage lasts about 10 to 25 minutes. This phase is also a light sleep stage, but not as light as phase 1. The rabbit can also be easily woken up during this stage. At this stage, the rabbit is preparing to go into a deep sleep.
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Deep Sleep Phase
This is the second stage of rabbit sleep and he spends 30% of his sleep in this stage. This is the stage where they have their dreams.
This phase is further divided into two stages
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Stage 1
During this stage, the rabbit is fast asleep and it will be difficult to wake him up at this time. This stage lasts about 25-90 minutes after bedtime. After this stage, rabbits prepare for the last stage also known as the REM stage
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Stage 2/ REM Stage
During this stage, rabbits’ brains are active even when they are sleeping. The reason for this is that they dream. Do rabbits dream? From all the indications and everything we have discussed so far, we can conclude that rabbits do indeed dream when they sleep. Unlike insects that don’t dream because they don’t enter REM sleep, rabbits enter REM sleep and that’s why they dream.
What Do Rabbits Dream Of?
It’s hard to know exactly what a rabbit is dreaming about because we can’t ask it, we can only speculate on its body pattern. Rabbits can dream of different things. When they dream, their breathing becomes shallow. You will also find that it is normal for them to shake their bodies, grind their teeth, kick their limbs, and move their tails and eyelids while dreaming. Some researchers have found that rabbits dream of events that happened to them. This was achieved when they studied the activation patterns of their brain cells during REM sleep. Rabbits dream of memorable events that happened to them. The events might be scary or the ones that made them so happy. If in their sleep they shake their legs and you notice them running during the day, they are probably dreaming of running. If they grind their teeth gently, it means they are enjoying themselves in the dream.
Do Rabbits Have Nightmares?
Just like humans have nightmares, it is possible that rabbits also have nightmares. If you notice your rabbits forcefully grinding their teeth, and also barking slowly while sleeping, it may mean that they are having nightmares. This could wake them up and disrupt their sleep. Not having a good sleep can make them less active during the day. If you notice that this happens constantly in your rabbits, it is important to see your Vet and express your concerns.
Different Rabbits Sleeping/Dreaming Positions
Rabbits assume different positions when sleeping and dreaming, and these positions are different things. Some of these positions are:
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Open Eyes Position
One of the positions assumed by rabbits when they sleep is to sleep with their eyes opened. They do this when they are not fully relaxed and are in danger. The open eyes help them to detect danger. To differentiate when they are asleep from when they are awake with opened eyes, you will check their nose. A fast and continuous twitch of the nose indicates that they are awake while a slow twitch in the nose with minimal body movement indicates that they are asleep.
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Loaf Position
You must have heard of a loaf of bread before. When rabbits assume a position that looks like a loaf of bread with their legs tucked underneath themselves, their ears relaxed and their, or body folded like a ball, we can say that they are in a loaf position. They assume this position to feel safe and stay away from any danger. When danger is sensed, this position can make it easy for them to run. Sprawling Position.
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Flop Position
When you see your rabbits in this position, you will probably be scared at first because you think that they are dead. They lay on one side of their body with their limbs stretched. This position indicates that your rabbits are in deep relaxation and may even be enjoying a nice dream. For them to assume this position, it means that they are comfortable and feel so safe because when there is danger, it will be difficult to run quickly in this position.
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Sprawl Position
Rabbits lay on their stomach with outstretched tails and feet. This position indicates a feeling of calmness and safety for the rabbits. You can fully say they trust you and their surroundings when they assume this position. They also tend to dream more when in this position because of how comfortable they are. It is also difficult for them to run from danger when they assume this position.
Can Your Rabbit’s Dream Be Disturbed?
Certain things can disturb your rabbits when they are enjoying their dreams. Some include light, noise, danger, sickness, poor bed, etc.
How To Ensure Your Rabbit Enjoy Their Dreams
Here are a few ways you can ensure your rabbits enjoy their sleep:
- Ensure they sleep in a quiet environment
- Make sure you place them on a soft, cozy, and warm bed to make them more comfortable
- Make sure they are in a safe and peaceful environment
- Switch off the lights in their rooms because they are sensitive to harsh lights.
- If your rabbits are sick, make sure you visit your Vet to get them treated.
Conclusion
To keep your rabbits healthy, they need to sleep well and dream well. If you notice your rabbits are not getting enough sleep, this is also an indication that they are not having good dreams. You will need to see your vet to complain about this as there may be an underlying medical condition affecting them. If they have sweet dreams, their sanity will be preserved and they won’t exhibit grumpy behavior.