Are you worried about your rabbit as it does not seem to be sleeping? Then, follow the instructions that we have discussed below to fix this issue.
To ensure that your rabbit has a good night’s sleep, fix a daily sleep schedule for it, make it sleep on comforting bedding, and offer an environment that feels safe to it. Another thing that you should know is that rabbits often have the habit of sleeping with open eyes. It means you sometimes can be mistaken that your rabbit is awake; instead, he may be asleep.
If your rabbit is facing sleeping issues, you should try the tips that we are going to discuss in this article and find the best solution to help your rabbit sleep.
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What Can Be The Reason That Your Rabbit Doesn’t Seem To Be Sleeping?
Make Sure That Your Rabbit’s Bedding Is Comfortable
Comfortable bedding is an essential thing for your rabbit to get optimum sleep. So, provide bedding that feels comforting to your rabbit to ensure your rabbit receives an adequate amount of sleep.
We had a talk with several rabbit owners, and it was surprising to know their different thoughts and opinions. Some owners said that their rabbits feel more comfortable sleeping on the ground and push their bedding away. On the other hand, many told us that their rabbit sleeps pretty comfortably on the bedding.
So, no one answer fits all the questions. Hence, it is better that you try some different types of beddings and see which bedding your rabbit likes the most.
When I tried few types of bedding on my rabbits, they preferred paper pallets over any other bedding.
A piece of advice is, you should not choose a material that is a bit too hard or dusty. Such material will be uncomfortable to sleep on or to breathe in.
All in all, if you want your rabbit to sleep well, provide it with comfortable bedding.
Fix A Sleeping Schedule For Your Rabbit
Six to eight hours of sleep is essential for an average rabbit. Rabbits usually have a crepuscular sleep cycle. It means that they typically sleep during midday and night. They are usually most active at dusk and dawn. If you are looking forward to managing your rabbit’s sleep schedule, then never make it sleep for continuous eight hours during the night. It will disturb your bunny’s natural circadian rhythm. Rabbit needs eight hours of sleep in the whole day. It means you should set some of your rabbit’s sleep time at midday and some at night. This will maintain the rabbit’s crepuscular sleep cycle, and it will be more playful after the sunset, around 6 o’clock, and at sunrise, around 7 o’clock.
Provide An Environment Which Feels Safe And Quite To Your Rabbit
If the rabbit feels safe, then it is most likely that it will get enough sleep. If your rabbit’s environment is safe and secure, it will feel like relaxing in such an environment. On the other hand, if there is a feeling of insecurity or threat in your little bunny’s mind, it will keep an eye out for ensuring its safety.
Rabbits come amongst the prey animals. So, they have a tendency to protect themselves based on their natural instincts. Rabbits who are usually kept in the open feel unsafe during the night because it makes them vulnerable to predators like coyotes. In such a situation, a threatening and vulnerable environment makes them feel unsafe, and they do not rest and fall asleep.
If you notice that your rabbit is not getting adequate amount of sleep, consider making its environment more safe and secure. Start questioning yourself about the things that can make your rabbit insecure in the current environment. After identifying the factors and reasons behind your little rabbit’s distress, fix those factors immediately.
Just a safe environment is not enough to make your rabbit sleep. Additionally, ensure that the environment is quiet too. It is probable that the loud noises are making your bunny uncomfortable and keeping it awake. Rabbits usually get frightened by listening to loud noises. Such noises can cause a sense of fear amongst them, literally making it impossible for them to sleep in such an environment.
Indoor Rabbits
If you have a big family and many people live in your home, it might be difficult for you to find a quiet enough place to let your rabbit sleep. One of the promising solutions to tackle this problem is to put your rabbit on the same sleeping schedule as yours. If it is not possible to do so, find a low trafficked area in your home and let your rabbit enjoy some sweet dreams.
As far as your rabbit’s midday sleep is concerned, in the beginning, the bunny may find it difficult to adjust to normal house noise. But, with time, it can adapt to such conditions and have a comfortable sleep after getting used to the usual house noises.
Outdoor Rabbits
Outdoor rabbits usually follow a sleeping schedule that lines up with the day and night. If you notice that your rabbit is not sleeping properly at night and most of the time it is awake, then you can try changing its location and follow other steps that we have already discussed.
Make Your Rabbit Exercise
One of the biggest secrets to keep your rabbit healthy and happy is making it exercise. If you make your rabbit exercise daily, it will keep the bunny from getting restless at night, making it to sleep on time.
Four hours of exercise on a daily basis is recommended for rabbits. To help your rabbit exercise, you can get a playpen and allow your little bunny to play and exercise on it.
In addition to this, you can also take your rabbit for a walk and play with it in a safe area. It will become a source of energy outlet for your rabbit and help it to sleep well.
Another way to make your rabbit exercise is to allow it to hop on a trampoline. You can enable it to play on a trampoline while you can stand beside it so that your little friend does not fall off and get hurt.
Be creative and do new things, but always keep your pet’s safety and health on priority.