Guinea pig sleeping habits

As a piggy parent, you may have some questions about guinea pigs and their sleeping habits! There are a few peculiar ones that you may not understand the reasoning behind, and it’s always fun to learn more about our guinea pigs, no matter how seasoned and experienced we are.

First, let’s discuss the basic, yet important question. How much sleep do guinea pigs need? In order to stay healthy, guinea pigs need anywhere from four and six hours of sleep a day! However, this isn’t continuous time blocks of sleep, but short power naps! These little naps are usually only a few minutes long, but they’re still enough to fuel and recharge our piggies. 

Some guinea pigs sleep for longer periods of time if they’re older or have developed a sleep routine for themselves. These longer naps can be up to 30 minutes long. Either way, no matter how long or short the naps are, they’re enough for our piggies to get proper rest to recharge them for their usual piggy activities throughout the day. If only it were that easy for us humans! 

Are guinea pigs nocturnal or diurnal?

The answer to this question is both! Guinea pigs are naturally prey animals, and their sleep schedule and habits have everything to do with that fact.

They are awake for much of the day because they need to be alert and aware of their surroundings at all times in order to feel safe. So if you wake up in the middle of the night to hear your guinea pigs scurrying around or munching on their hay and veggies, there’s no need to worry! They’re just doing their thing.

Why do guinea pigs sleep with their eyes open?

This is another sleeping habit that they’ve adapted to their need to stay alert and to keep themselves safe.

Even if they are living with you in your home, they will still have this habit no matter how safe we may think they are. Not all guinea pigs do this of course, but many do!

If your piggies don’t sleep with their eyes open, it just means that they feel safe where they are and trust their surroundings, and you. This is quite the honor, actually!

Is too much sleep bad for guinea pigs?

You may have heard the saying or phrase ‘too much of anything good can be bad,’ and that’s exactly the case here as well! Guinea pigs need adequate amounts of sleep to stay healthy, but there is such a thing as too much, especially when it comes to guinea pigs.

Your guinea pig resting and dozing off for too long may be a sign that something is wrong! Make sure to keep an eye on their eating habits, as well as sleep habits, because any changes to either of those occur in tandem with each other.

If they’re sleeping too much, but also not really eating, they may have an underlying problem, such as infection or depression. At this point, a visit to the vet might be warranted.

Do guinea pigs like the dark?

Yes! In fact, liking the dark is one of the elements that makes them feel safe enough to sleep.

This is why they’ll often be found sleeping inside of things like hideys and tunnels, in dark corners of their cage or hutch!

What is the best bedding for guinea pigs?

Easily, it’s the GuineaDad Premium Liner and the GuineaDad Liner! They’re designed to encourage and accommodate natural guinea pig behavior—AKA hiding! The GuineaDad liners both have pockets, which are great for hiding.

It’s ultra cushioned and soft on their feet, and those built-in pockets are great for sticking their favorite hidey inside. This accommodates their hiding habits, and ensures that you still know where they are and can have peace of mind that they are safe! The pocket in these liners have always been a piggy favorite. 

Keep calm and power nap on!

All guinea pig sleeping habits have one goal, and it’s for the guinea pigs to keep themselves safe and comfortable! So even if your piggy still sleeps with their eyes open in your home, it’s not a testament to how you make them feel, it’s just a natural instinct in them that they just do to keep themselves safe.