How Much Do Rats Sleep?
WouterIf you have a rat as a pet, you may be wondering how much they sleep. Rats are nocturnal, which means that they come out of hiding during the night and spend most of their time sleeping. This is an adaption to protect themselves from predators, which are primarily diurnal, meaning that they are active during the day. They have poor eyesight but can detect ultraviolet light, which increases at dawn and dusk. Rats can also track each other by using urine.
Rats sleep for about 15 hours a day, and are awake for nine. Since they have smaller bodies and a lower metabolic rate than humans, they require a greater amount of sleep to repair their bodies. In a study, researchers measured the amount of time that lab rats slept during a 12-hour period ranging from eight in the morning to eight in the evening.
Researchers conducted experiments on 20 albino male rats. They monitored their sleep activity in the dark and light periods, and recorded EEG, EMG, and gross body movement during sleep and wake periods. In addition, they measured the number of wake-ups and sleep periods. The study showed that the amount of time spent in the dark period was similar to that in the light period. The length of sleep in each period was similar to that of humans, although rats do have shorter sleep periods.
A rat’s sleep cycle is unique. It doesn’t sleep long bursts, but rather sleeps when it is in the middle of a rest cycle. Its behavior is called crepuscular, which means that it will become more active in the afternoon and evening.
