Bunnies often twitch, stretch, and jerk as if startled, while they are sleeping. Because of this, most bunny owners believe that their rabbits do dream, and dream often. However, scientists are not sure if rabbits dream.
Research shows that, as with many mammals, this twitching and jerking, along with specifically measured brain activity that parallels human brain activity when humans are dreaming, is a sign that the rabbit is very likely dreaming.
Below we elaborate on this and dive into some of the science about rabbits and sleep!
I found the fact that rabbits are crepuscular an amazing piece of evolutionary biology. Nature is truly amazing. Please read on to learn about this!
How Long Do Rabbits Sleep? How Often Do Rabbits Sleep? How Much Do Rabbits Sleep?
Cumulatively, rabbits sleep for 8 to 11 hours each day and they sleep mostly during the middle of the day and at night.
Their sleep time is separated into several sleep periods throughout the day. They do not sleep continuously in one block of time like most adult humans.
Are Rabbits Nocturnal?
No, rabbits are not nocturnal. Rather, rabbits are crepuscular. This means they are naturally most active during morning daybreak and evening twilight, resting and/or sleeping during other parts of the day and night.
You can click this tab to hear how crepuscular is pronounced.
Being crepuscular means that rabbits are typically less active during the middle of the day when temperatures are at their maximum. This is advantageous to rabbits in warmer climates as they may struggle to regulate their body temperature during summer in the warmer climates.
In fact, being crepuscular is part of rabbits’ evolutionary biology. As prey animals, being crepuscular helps the rabbit evade its predators like foxes and owls, who are on the move and hunting most often during daylight or darkness!
Do Rabbits have REM Sleep?
This scientific study, and the studies it references, shows that rabbits do experience paradoxical sleep, also known as Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep.
However, it found that when rabbits are in deep, or REM, sleep, they do not experience as much tonic immobility (temporary paralysis of arms and legs) as some other mammals.
It is believed that this is another biological adaptation in the evolution of the rabbit! The rabbit evolved to not sleep as long or as soundly as many other mammals. Instead, the rabbit takes several shorter sleeps or naps which has, over time, helped rabbits to be more alert and evade predators.
The Science of Rabbit Dreams
Some recent scientific research has shown that due to the anatomical and physiological parallels between humans and most mammals, scientists tend to believe that many mammals, including rabbits, do dream while they sleep.
Scientists who study sleep behavior see strong parallels between human anatomical measurements of sleep and many mammals measurements of sleep, including rabbits, during deep or REM sleep. But overall, we still do not know if rabbits dream because we have yet to prove it.
Most humans who have ever seen a rabbit twitching and moving while the rabbit sleeps quickly surmise that the rabbit is dreaming, and it may just be true!
Bunny Sleeping Positions
Rabbits can sleep in many strange positions. Here are some of the most frequent positions and the nick-names for the positions.
- The Sitting Bull – the rabbit is literally sitting upright on its haunches with front legs only slightly bent, and head up. This is the sign of a vigilant bunny. This position allows for a good field of vision and the ability to hear. This allows the rabbit to move quickly if danger is heard, seen, smelled, or sensed.
- The Loaf – the rabbit tucks both its front and back legs under its torso and looks like a loaf of bread; also like a ball with a head. Rabbits in the loaf position are calm but aware of their surroundings. In the loaf position the head is upright, so both the field of vision and the ability to hear is very good. Moreover, it is easy to get up and run for safety from the loaf position.
- The Super Bunny or the Stretch Bunny – the rabbits back legs are straight out behind it and its front legs are either straight out in front or in front but resting on its elbows. This position is a sign of a happy and content bunny. Again, the rabbit’s head is upright so the field of vision is very good and the ears can hear well. The rabbit can get up and run, but not as easily as if it was in a sitting position. An additional benefit of this position is that it stretches out the rabbit’s leg muscles.
- The Dead Rabbit or the Side Flop – the rabbit is laying on its side with legs extended, and head is on its side – as if they are dead. This position is a sign of trust or complete relaxation. With the head on its side, the field of vision and the hearing are not good. It is much harder for the rabbit to get up and run away from a predator if it is laying on its side with the side of its head on the ground.
- The Snuggler – the rabbit is in any of the previous positions but is snuggled up against one or more other bunnies. Rabbits are social animals and thrive in a colony, also known as a fluffle. Rabbits generally love to snuggle; it makes them feel safe.
Don’t be suprised if you find your rabbit sleeping in any one of these positions!
And here is a cute video of a rabbit sleeping. It appears to be dreaming with eyes twitching and a big stretch that knocks him off balance (rabbits can and do sometimes sleep with their eyes open).
Final Thoughts
As we discussed, science cannot yet confirm that rabbits dream. However, there are some very strong biological similarities between human sleep and rabbit sleep which are leading scientists toward concluding that rabbits do indeed dream.
Healthy rabbits sleep for about 8 to 11 hours a day in several different sleep periods. These periods are most often during the heat of mid-day and night.
Finally, rabbits are crepuscular, which means that they are most active during the morning twilight and the evening twilight when it is hardest for their predators, such as foxes and owls to see and hunt. This is a very interesting piece of biological evolution!