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Do Guinea Pigs Sleep With Their Eyes Open Or Closed? Find Out Here

There are several species of animals that sleep with their eyes open, and there are several reasons why they have this behavior. Let’s see in the following lines the reasons why do guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open and some attitudes and habits that these nice pets show when they sleep.

Find out if they blink and why they do it, what they are afraid of, what they like when they sleep, at what times they sleep, and all the other curiosities related to the way these little animals sleep.


Do guinea pigs sleep with their eyes closed?

Believe it or not, guinea pigs sleep more than you think, they close their eyes to sleep only when they are confident of their protection, and when they do not perceive any sign of discomfort or danger in the environment.

These cute little animals adapt to domestication and acquire behaviors in accordance with the rest habits of humans. They can sleep for short periods of one or two hours, and they do it both day and night they usually close their eyes when they enter a stage of sleep, where the spinal cord sends signals to the brain of the animal.

Do Guinea Pigs Sleep With Their Eyes Open Or Closed?
Do Guinea Pigs Sleep With Their Eyes Open Or Closed?

These stop the movements of their body, creating an inability to move their muscles temporarily at this stage the body relaxes completely and this is when the pet enjoys a total rest.

This phase in the sleep of guinea pigs is known as REM sleep, and it is when they rest peacefully, a fact that allows their eyes to remain closed since they do not have the control to keep their eyelids open.

The habit of sleeping with their eyes closed can be noticed after days of playing where the rabbit performs a physical activity that can fatigue it and create the need for rest, also in the late hours of the night, if the lights are kept off because they relate the presence of light with the day.

Expert Tip: This habit of sleeping with their eyes closed increases in this pet, as the time in your company increases, and as they get older, and is motivated by the confidence they gain through time, which contributes to their feelings of security.



Do guinea pigs sleep?

Guinea pigs can sleep up to 9 hours a day
Guinea pigs can sleep up to 9 hours a day

Guinea pigs are mammals, and just like other species of animals they need to sleep, the fact that they have central nervous systems creates the need for sleep. Sleep times vary depending on the habits and habits that are created in pets like guinea pigs, depending on the energy expenditure and reserves that the animal may have.

Other causes in the variation of a guinea pig’s sleep can be the living and feeding conditions it has. If it is crowded in a place where the space is inadequate, it can get stressed and this causes variations in its sleep and rest patterns.

In order for them to sleep regularly and rest adequately, sleeping the necessary amount, they require living conditions that allow them to move around and have adequate places to take their naps.

The guinea pigs are rodent mammals of the largest species, which can sleep up to 9 hours a day, when they are kept in captivity they adapt surprisingly to the habits of their owners so that their greatest periods of rest usually occur during the night hours.

However, this does not mean that they do not sleep during the day. These animals sleep for periods of up to two hours if they feel fatigued.


Do guinea pigs blink?

How Often Do Guinea Pigs Blink
How Often Do Guinea Pigs Blink?

The guinea pigs do blink, and they do it on different occasions, such as when they need to remove dust or any impurity or foreign element that causes them discomfort from their eyes.

Although they do not blink very often, they do blink reason, why they do it on very specific occasions, is that they are prey animals, which have many predators, and their vision is not the best. Blinking prevents them from observing their surroundings with attention.

So this has led them to develop a capacity that allows them to do it strictly when required, meanwhile, they keep their eyes wide open to be alert to the dangers that may threaten them.

The blinking of guinea pigs is always provoked for some reason, one of the causes may be the dryness of summer days, although a blink only lasts fractions of seconds, for them, it can be dangerous as they feel insecure about not being able to observe what is happening in their environment.

The system that allows the movement of the eyes and eyelids of the guinea pigs is very developed, this allows them to completely control their blinking, to the point of suppressing it when it is dangerous and when it does not allow them to have a complete field of vision.

These little animals, when they have been tamed for a certain period of time and away from danger, tend to blink more frequently than when they are in natural areas.

Expert Tip: If you observe it blinking excessively, it is a warning sign, an infection could be present if apart from the constant blinking, it has irritated or swollen eyes.


Are guinea pigs unique in the way they sleep?

Guinea pigs have diverse sleep patterns
Guinea pigs have diverse sleep patterns

Guinea pigs have ways that may seem strange to sleep, however, they are not the only ones. There are other animals that like these pets can sleep with their eyes open, dolphins and some kinds of seals like guinea pigs can sleep with their eyes open, and for the same reason, they need to stay alert to the dangers that may lie in wait for them.

These pets have diverse sleep patterns, and are similar to cats in the schedules they seek to sleep, they can sleep at any time of the day. And they also sleep at night, this sleep pattern is also similar to that of carnivores of the first positions in the pyramid of the food chain.

They do not have concerns about the dangers of predators and can sleep during the day.

In the case of the guinea pigs, this sleep pattern is not due to their position in the food chain, since they do have predators, but rather to the time of domestication they have had. Since they do not feel dangers in their domestic habitat, they relax and rest without risk during the daytime hours.

These habits have been learned over more than 4,500 years, and have caused during all this time a significant modification in many of the guinea pigs’ behaviors.

So that many of their behaviors have adapted to their coexistence with humans, including sleeping schedules, like other pets such as dogs, cats, and several species of birds, while they are domesticated, they usually sleep at times when their owners do.


What is the significance of a guinea pig sleeping with its eyes closed?

If guinea pigs are given the affection they sleep with their eyes closed
If guinea pigs are given the affection they sleep with their eyes closed

Seeing guinea pigs close their eyes while sleeping is something to enjoy, as it happens very sporadically because they usually keep their eyes open while sleeping. When this pet closes its eyes it is a sign that they feel very safe and happy in the presence of those who observe them.

As they get along with their owners or caregivers, they gain confidence, and by trusting those around them, they assume that there are no dangers and are ready to take breaks without fear that something will happen to them. So they close their eyes full of tranquility and are enraptured in a dream that will replenish their energy.

It can be observed that the more time the owner spends with the pet under his care, the more confident he will become and the more often he will sleep with his eyes closed.

If they are given the affection they sleep with their eyes closed, and the sign that they are confident in the way they relax, even lying completely on the floor of the place where they are.

Expert Tip: If you want to see them more often sleep with their eyes closed, you can raise them in your arms and caress them gently. You will see that the fact of feeling your protection will make them sleep in your arms with their eyes closed.



They express the confidence and protection they feel in different ways, one of them is to close their eyes, and in others they sleep in different ways that can be funny, some of them lie down completely with their belly up.

They roll up like a ball, they are completely glued to the floor with their limbs extended and their face close to the floor showing a clear sign of tranquility and unconcern. On most occasions, the guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open and close when sleeping when they feel protected.

And like other mammals, they sleep enough and do it when they please, despite having a nocturnal nature, when domesticated they acquire diurnal habits, sleeping day or night. Their sleeping habits are similar to the small domesticated felines.

By nature, they are fearful, and are on the lookout for their surroundings, for this reason, they blink very few times and manage to dominate this reflex at will.


How do I know if my Guinea pig is sleeping?

Guinea pig eyes are open but their body is relaxed
Guinea pig eyes are open but their body is relaxed

Although it may seem like Guinea pigs don’t sleep because their eyes are always open, they actually do because like any other animals they need to recharge themselves especially after a tiring day.

It’s difficult to tell whether your Guinea pig is sleeping or not if you’re going to look at its eyes. Guinea pigs sleep as if they are in a trance. Their eyes are open but their body is relaxed. They also don’t lie down, they sleep while sitting still.

Guinea pigs move a lot and are very active. So if you find your Guinea pig sitting still in a corner of its box which is not its typical behavior, then it’s probably taking a nap.

Guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open as a means of survival because small creatures like them tend to get eaten in their natural habitat. They need to be alert 24/7 but they need to sleep too, so they adapt by sleeping with their eyes open. If you find them asleep with their eyes closed then that means they feel safe around you.


Do guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark? (The truth)

Do guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark?
Do guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark?

A lot of guinea pig owners ask the question “Do guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark?” anything that involves sleeping with this creature is quite hard to understand. In this article, we will be answering this question in order for you to take care of that lovely guinea pig.


Guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark because they are crepuscular

Crepuscular creatures are the most active at dawn or dusk, basically a time when darkness dominates the majority of the surroundings. Guinea pigs are considered crepuscular creatures, they love sleeping in the dark and are passive in the mid-day.

Expert Tip: Guinea pigs do not like sleeping when the sun is on the all-time rise, they do still sleep at night but are just passive during the day. This is why they love sleeping in the darkness.


Guinea pigs like to sleep in the dark because it makes them feel safe

Guinea pigs are lower in the food chain, they will avoid sleeping if there is any sign of stress that would lead to predation. This is why they find it hard to sleep during the day, it is the time where most predators are active. They would be more comfortable sleeping in the dark where their natural predators are sleeping


Conclusion

Guinea pigs like sleeping in the dark because of their natural behavior, as crepuscular creatures they enjoy darkness more than the day. That is all, thank you for reading.

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About Grace Hocker

Hi, my name is Grace and I am a pet lover. Ever since 5 years old, I've owned some sort of pet from Bearded Dragons to Rabbits. I have dedicated my life to helping pets, and am here to help you get the best for your pet!