Anyone else get weird joy out of watching their pigs sleep? Or is that just me :)
Especially my rescue pig, who was in a very crummy situation the first year+ of her life - teen mom, itty bitty cage, the works. She pancakes out in her bed, or even favorite spots around the cage, and snoozes with her eyes shut tight. I just love knowing that she’s that comfortable.
My pig-less friends think that’s weird. I think they just don’t understand.
Sleeping Pigs
Mr Bubbles is the most sound sleeping guinea pig I've ever seen. The first time I saw him sleeping, he looked dead. I opened his cage to check on him. It wasn't until I reached into his house to pet him and scared him half to death that I realized that he was sleeping. I'm used to it now. He curls up when he sleeps. He's the only one of my boys who does that. The others usually lay on their side, stretch out and kick their hind leg out.
Sammy jumps up at the slightest noise because he's a high strung little guy, but Dean and Barry Jenkins lift up their heads to see what is happening and whether or not it's worth getting up for. Guinea pig sleep time is important for them just the same as it is for any living being and how well they sleep is indicate of how well we care for them. If your piggies sleep well, you should take it as a compliment and keep doing what you're doing with them.
Sammy jumps up at the slightest noise because he's a high strung little guy, but Dean and Barry Jenkins lift up their heads to see what is happening and whether or not it's worth getting up for. Guinea pig sleep time is important for them just the same as it is for any living being and how well they sleep is indicate of how well we care for them. If your piggies sleep well, you should take it as a compliment and keep doing what you're doing with them.
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daisymay
- Supporter 2016-2021
If your piggies sleep well, you should take it as a compliment and keep doing what you're doing with them.
Ours usually jump and kick legs out like dreaming. Does this mean we're not taking care of them properly? You know when your between awake and sleep and you have that dream where you're falling? A few of our girls do that and it scares us everytime they jump.
Don't worry, Daisymay. I'm sure you are doing very well by your piggies. Just because they don't sleep perfectly still doesn't mean they aren't sleeping peacefully. Some guinea pigs are just jumpy. Sammy is.
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Sef
- I dissent.
Interestingly, guinea pigs aren't considered either diurnal or nocturnal; instead, the tend to sleep in relatively short cycles throughout the day and night. Like other individuals, though, their sleep "style" will vary. Most of ours are very light sleepers, easily roused by the sound of the refrigerator door opening or a bag rattling. Our oldest pig, on the other hand, is a very sound sleeper.
Twitching and other movement during sleep is most likely a sign that they're dreaming or simply having normal, involuntary movements that we all engage in to some degree during sleep.
Twitching and other movement during sleep is most likely a sign that they're dreaming or simply having normal, involuntary movements that we all engage in to some degree during sleep.
Agree, Sef. I felt bad because I thought Daisy misunderstood me. I never meant to suggest that anyone on here isn't giving their guinea pigs the best care. I hope I cleared that up.
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daisymay
- Supporter 2016-2021
Nope, didn't misunderstand you! Well not really, I have always wondered why my pigs never relax when asleep and are always having dreams. It is the cutest thing to watch, twitching legs, mouth, eyes, it's like someone is chasing them. Then they jump in their sleep which makes me jump and hence awake piggy and the stink eye!I felt bad because I thought Daisy misunderstood me.
Our kids were like that. Watching them sleep and they would have little twitches, it was adorable to watch! We have noticed that we too do it. When watching the other sleep we notice twitches. Sorry for misunderstanding Renonvsparky!
No worries. The funny thing is that most of the time I read over my posts a couple of times before I hit submit to make sure they sound right. I didn't on that one. That'll teach me! 
I have hundreds of picture of Mokey sleeping! She loves sleeping on her side in a little curl, one foot kicked out. She sleeps with her eyes half shut and her eyes roll back in her head - it is a little unnerving but I know she is just so comfortable LOL! Speaking of eyes, she is my first pig that loves it when I stroke her head from nose all the way back over her eyes which she will shut and she really sings when I do this! Brings me such happiness that she feels so safe that I can do that and she enjoys it.
Got this close-up of Mr Bubbles sleeping a while back. I should have posted it sooner. I had to zoom in to get this picture so I wouldn't disturb him. I just love seeing him sleep so soundly. He has a lot of energy and it's not just because he has a good diet. His sleeping habits and stress free life help too. He's only had to click his teeth in anger once in his life and that was when we first got Scruffy and the attempted pairing ended up in a pretty big fight between them. He's not hyper or anything but he gets around pretty good for a 4 and a half year old piggie.