How Much Rat Sleep Does Each Rat Get?
WouterRats sleep up to 15 hours a day. Most of their waking time is spent eating, grooming, and drinking. They tend to sleep less when they are in pairs or groups, which may be a sign that they are lonely or bored. A simple way to increase their sleep time is to remove all artificial lighting in their environment. A dark environment will help your rat sleep longer. It’s also important to provide a comfortable sleeping area.
While humans sleep for eight to nine hours per day, rats sleep for up to 15 hours. This is because their metabolisms are lower and their bodies need more sleep than humans. Researchers measured how much sleep lab rats took during a 12-hour period – from eight am to eight pm. The researchers found that rat sleep is a significant part of their day.
Using recordings from more than twenty-six rats, researchers at Washington State University were able to estimate the amount of time an individual rat spends sleeping. The recordings were collected for two years. The rats were housed individually and kept at a temperature of 22 +-2 degC, with a 12h/12h light/dark cycle. The experiment was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Washington State University.
The amount of time a rat spends sleeping is dependent on its internal clock. A rat may sleep throughout the day, but will be most active during the evening hours. A rat may sleep with its eyes open, which can make it look like it is dead.
