Why is My Hamster Always Sleeping?
The sleep patterns of hamsters are some of the most unique in the animal kingdom. In the wild, these rodents sleep through most of the day and night, becoming active at dawn or dusk.
Why is my hamster always sleeping? Hamsters typically spend between 6-8 hours asleep every day. Being nocturnal animals, they sleep during the day and become active during the night. Though it may seem like hamsters are always asleep, oversleeping is a sign of poor health.
There are several aspects of a hamster’s sleep that you should know for the good of your pet. Read on to find out.
Why Is My Hamster Always Sleeping?
On average, hamsters sleep for between 6-8 hours every day. Most hamsters sleep in phases, meaning they can wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle to eat and drink water. However, even if they can disrupt their sleep for meals, the cumulative sleep time still adds up to about 8 hours.
Hamsters have some of the most peculiar sleeping patterns among all pets.
Sleeping patterns in the wild
In the wild, a hamster sleeps during the daytime when it’s hot outside, and many predators roam. It will awake at dusk and forage for food for a while, return to burrow and sleep. Then at dawn, the hamster will awake and forage again. In total, the wild hamster spends more than eight hours asleep.
Wild hamsters’ sleep patterns classify them as crepuscular since they are most often active for a few hours at dawn or dusk.
Sleeping patterns in captivity
A hamster’s instincts don’t disappear, despite being held in captivity, so it will still follow the same sleeping patterns. This pattern is why your hamster will spend most of the day hiding in the cage, asleep and suddenly reemerge in the evening.
Unlike its wild counterparts, your pet hamster is most likely nocturnal. This change in sleep pattern is because the rodent no longer has to forage for food over long distances. Hence, the pet is less worn out and needs little rest, leaving it with a lot of energy to burn at night.
Why it appears that hamsters are always sleeping
One of the main reasons why your hamster is always sleeping is related to human sleeping patterns. Since hamsters typically sleep during the day and wake up at night. This pattern of sleep may make it seem like your pet is always asleep because you’re primarily asleep when it’s awake.
Why is my hamster sleeping more than usual?
If you notice that your hamster is sleeping longer than it usually does, the explanation could be any of the following;
Advanced age
The average life expectancy of a hamster is two to three years. When your hamster grows old, its biological functions begin to deteriorate, causing it to be less active. Hence, the pet will sleep more than usual.
Health issues
Health problems are challenging for hamsters. Their tiny bodies are easily overwhelmed by disease, causing pain and fatigue. At the same time, any medicine the vet prescribes for your pet rodent is likely to cause sleep as it works in the body.
Hence, a hamster could sleep longer than usual because of pain, fatigue, or medication.
Hibernation
Hamsters don’t hibernate but go into a state similar to hibernation called torpor. This hibernation-like state is triggered by extremely low temperatures in a bid to survive. In this state, the hamster becomes unresponsive and breathes very slowly, making it seem dead.
Temperatures below 60 Fahrenheit are bad for hamsters, so they trigger hibernation. Keep your hamster warm to avoid oversleeping.
Why is my hamster always sleeping at night?
Your hamster may take to sleeping at night because it is experiencing problems sleeping during the day. One of the main reasons your pet rodent sleeps at night is noise. Since your hamster needs to sleep during the day, if it can’t, it will begin to sleep more at night to compensate.
Sources of loud noise include;
- Television sets and home theaters
- Car noises if you live near a busy road
- Doorbells and home equipment like dishwashers
- Loud talking and laughing
Another reason may be that your pet has grown old and is no longer as active as before, so it will sleep more.
Is it normal for my hamster to sleep a lot?
Yes, it is normal for a hamster to sleep a lot. Depriving a hamster of sleep causes anxiety and fatigue. Despite its importance, these rodents rarely sleep for more than 15 hours daily. Most hamsters take regular naps instead of continuous bedtime, but even these add up to between 8-12 hours.
Hence, if your hamster sleeps all the time, that’s not a good sign. Have it checked by the vet as soon as possible because that may be a sign of serious medical issues.
Why is my new hamster always sleeping?
If you just got a new hamster and notice it’s sleeping a lot, there’s probably no reason to be alarmed. Like humans, individual hamsters have unique sleeping patterns, so the new pet may just be different from the previous ones.
Changes in environment and routine affect the established patterns of sleep in hamsters. Your home could be too hot, forcing your pet to sleep longer since they hate too much heat. Lighting also plays a role in sleep cycles, so your new hamster may sleep more because your lights are always on.
Your new hamster may also be sleeping too much because of underlying health issues. If you think that it’s too much sleep, then it’s best to have it checked by a vet.
How to wake a sleeping hamster
Sometimes, you may wish to wake your hamster up. However, waking is delicate because startling your pet rodent may lead to aggressive behavior and even a nasty bite. Here’s how to wake your rodent friend;
- Make noises in the distance. Since they are sensitive to noise, loud noises in the vicinity of a hamster’s cage will startle it.
- Change the lighting gradually. High bright lights affect hamsters, so to avoid startling your pet, change the lighting slowly. The hamster will awake when it senses a change in the ambient lighting.
- Talking to a hamster can also wake it when it’s used to your voice. However, speaking too loudly will startle it, so you should temper your voice.
Related questions
Here are a few answers to some of the most common questions about hamster sleep patterns.
Why is my Syrian hamster always sleeping?
Most Syrian hamsters have strict sleep patterns. While it is healthy to sleep for long, interruptions can make the rodent sleep even longer. Also, these hamsters are active during the day for a limited amount of time, which they have to compensate for with more sleep.
Why is my dwarf hamster always sleeping?
Dwarf hamsters have a somewhat relaxed sleep schedule. They are also active during the day for limited periods. So, if you notice that your dwarf hamster is always sleeping, you don’t have to worry since that’s a natural behavior.
Why is my hamster always sleeping even at night?
Hamsters need plenty of sleep to replenish their energy reserves, so it’s normal to see your pet sleeping even at night. Other reasons for sleeping at night are routine changes, bright lights and daytime noise. However, if your rodent friend sleeps too much, consult an expert.
Conclusion
So, is it normal for a hamster to sleep all the time? Not exactly. While you may be under the impression that your hamster is always sleeping because your sleep pattern is out of sync with the pet’s, a hamster doesn’t sleep for 24 hours.
Too much sleep is a sign that your hamster is experiencing issues. The issues may be minor, like a change in routine or increased noise, but sometimes they’re serious health problems. Hence, you must study your rodent friend’s sleep patterns to discern when something is awry.
