Gerbils are excellent pets that love to play, run, and jump. Do gerbils sleep at night or day time?
When you bring gerbils home, you will find many places to keep their cage, which makes your bedroom seem like an ideal place.
But do you want to keep them in your bedroom if they are going to be up all night?
Do Gerbils Sleep At Night?
No, Whilst gerbils sleeping patterns are typically random, they will tend to sleep more during the day and will be awake through out the night.
They will typically sleep for a few hours at a time which they mostly do during the day time.
They will sleep at night time but don’t expect them to sleep for more than a few hours.
Gerbils are very industrious animals so you can’t force them to sleep. Luckily, most gerbils are primarily active during the day and sleep at night (diurnal), while some are active during the day and night. Additionally, others have the same sleeping pattern during the day and night.
If Your Gerbils are Active at Night, Can You Get Them to Sleep?
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do. Some gerbils sleep according to their owner’s sleep cycle while others sleep when they want.
However, here are a few essential things that you need to do to make your gerbils take a nap.
- The best way to make your gerbil rest is to exercise them before going to bed. An hour before bedtime, take your gerbils out of their cage and allow them to dominate your room. Make them run on the floor, downstairs (make sure they don’t fall), or in an empty bath. This is the same thing that happens to your when you work out before bed. Your muscles get tired and you are naturally promoted to sleep. Working out will reduce your pet’s activity at night.
- Feed your gerbils before bed so that they will keep themselves busy eating. After they are full, they will want to take a nap. Just as we often feel sleepy after eating, so might your gerbils.
- Put their cage away from the door. When gerbils hear sudden movements, they will scatter as you walk in and out of the room. Keeping them away from doors and windows helps reduce the possibility of sudden noises.
- Keep your gerbils away from a loud or even a Radio. Those types of noise can make them alert, and will hear them start to thumb their legs up.
- Keep an eye on them while they are out of the cage. That way, they’re more likely to sleep or pursue quieter activities.
Why Are My Gerbils Noisy at Night?
Gerbils are not as noisy as animals like dogs and horses. However, they can be far from silent. When they are not sleeping, they are always on the go.
Some of the gerbil’s species are diurnal animals (Sleeping during the night and active during the day. This feature is rarely found in the Mongolians (the type that we keep as pets).
So when you keep gerbils in your room, expect to hear the following kinds of noises.
- Chasing: gerbils like to chase each other around. The noise produced can be too loud if they crash into the cage walls.
- Chewing: To keep their teeth in the right conditions, gerbils have to chew. As a result, a lot of noise is produced.
- Throwing things: gerbils have the habit of scattering and rearranging items. They might go father and toss the food dish around.
- Drumming: gerbils tend to bang their feet on the ground, especially when alarmed.
Can you put sand in a gerbil cage? Find out if this solves problems or makes them worse.
What You Can do if Your Gerbils Are Loud at Night
So, it’s true that you can keep gerbils in your bedroom, but how do you keep them quiet at night?
1. Give Them Wooden Chew Toys
All gerbils need to chew every single day to keep their teeth filled. Chewing on wood toys is not entirely silent, but it’s much quieter than the sound of a metal cage.
If you don’t give them wooden chew toys, they will chew the cage, and the noise will not be pleasant. Ensure you have enough chewing toys for variety.
Here’s a set of great branch and stick chew toys that’s available on Amazon.
2. Give them paper towels to shred
Gerbils love paper towels and can never resist them. You see, they enjoy shredding them and mixing the shreds with their beddings. The advantage for you is, the soft ripping won’t be enough to keep you up at night.
3. Play relaxing music for your gerbils
A piece of calm music will make your gerbil more relaxed, tranquil, and ready for the night. On the other hand, not all gerbils like music. Don’t play high pitched music as this will annoy or excite them.
4. Exercise your gerbil before bed
An hour before bedtime, allow your gerbils to run around. After that, they will get a nap or get involved in less noisy activities like chewing wooden chew toys.
5. Apply the correct Substrate
The kind of Substrate that you use on the beddings will determine if you’ll have a peaceful night. If they don’t get the right Substrate, they will produce the loudest noise. For better results, give your gerbils a mixture of hay, paper towels, cardboard, and aspen shavings.
6. Get silent wheels
Get your gerbils silent exercise wheels that don’t squeak. If they run on cheap wheels, they will become too much louder.
7. Avoid tv
Put your gerbil’s cage in a place that is far from your television and bed. If it’s too close to your television, it will make too much noise and stress them.
8. Feed them
Have enough food for them before going to bed. This is because gerbils love to eat and drink all night.
What about water bowls? Is that ok? Let me explain.
Sleeping in the Same Room With Your Gerbils
As long as you are ready for all the noises that gerbils make, sleeping with them in the same room won’t be a big deal. The noises produced by gerbils can be disturbing, but this shouldn’t stop you from keeping them in your bedroom.
Don’t force your gerbils to sleep. They usually sleep when they want to. As time goes by, they will start adapting to your sleep schedule. Even though sometimes it can be challenging, eventually, things will fall into place.
Sleeping with gerbils in your bedroom shows that you care about them. Gerbils will get used to your movements, especially when you walk in and out of the room, which will help them settle down.
Should I Cover My Gerbils Cage at Night to Make Them Sleep?
Covering your gerbil’s cage at night won’t make them sleep. Darkness doesn’t act as a sleep stimulant because they can be active during the day and night. However, covering the gerbilarium prevents any noise from entering the cage hence stimulates the gerbil’s sleep.
You can use a blanket or a towel then leave a small gap for some ventilation. If your gerbils are still noisy, you can’t do much because they are naturally active. Placing the gerbilarium on a rug can also help rather than on a hard surface.
Keeping gerbils in your bedroom may not be an easy task. Although they have few limitations, gerbils might be the perfect “first pet” for you. They are social, fast-moving, and don’t require a lot of walking and attention.
They frequently love jumping hence provide endless fun for almost anyone. If appropriately raised and handled with lots of care, they will become your best friends. As a new owner, should you try to put gerbils in your bedroom? Consider the above essential tips to help you throughout the journey.
Why You Should Preferably Keep Your Gerbils in Your Bedroom
Keeping gerbils in your room can be a very great experience. Gerbils are social creatures with great personalities. They are always digging, investigating, and chewing everything around them.
However, there are some essential advantages to keeping Gerbils in your bedroom.
- You can clean the cage at the same time you clean your room
- You can feed and water them when you wake up or when you go to bed
- You’ll be able to take good care and see them regularly. These will help the gerbils get used to you
- They’ll give you companionship. Gerbils will provide you with the company that you need on that boring night as you’ll get to know them individually. Once they get used to you, they won’t get scared
- They will get a comfortable, clean, dry, and draught-free place where they can rest undisturbed
Are Gerbils Nocturnal?
No. I discovered that my gerbils in captivity are crepuscular animals. They are more active during the transitions between light and dark. This is in contrast to the majority of rodents, which are nocturnal.
If an animal is said to be crepuscular, it implies that it is most active during the early morning or late evening hours.
The majority of gerbils in captivity become more diurnal, which means that they are active during the day. However, there will always be gerbils that are crepuscular.
When held in captivity, their sleeping patterns begin to more closely resemble the nighttime sleeping routine of their owners.
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