Guinea pigs can sometimes have really relaxed personalities, so because of that, it’s normal to wonder if your guinea pig can fall asleep while they’re on you.
Some guinea pigs can fall asleep on you if they really trust you and have bonded with you. However, not all guinea pigs will like or want to fall asleep on their owners and that’s natural for them too.
If it looks like they have fallen asleep on you then there are even different ways to tell if your guinea pig is actually asleep or if they are just laying down and relaxing.
Table of Contents
Can Guinea Pigs Fall Asleep On You?
When it comes to guinea pigs, while they’re relaxing on you some of them can actually fall asleep on you.
This is something that can make you feel good if you ever have this experience with them. Because it is really cute to see and it can mean that you have a guinea pig that likes this type of activity.
If you ever have this happen while they’re laying down on you it can also mean that they feel relaxed enough around you to be able to sleep peacefully on top of you.
However, this is something that you shouldn’t always expect to happen with most of the guinea pigs that you keep as pets.
The reason why is that not all guinea pigs will fall asleep on you or even want to lay down on you.
Remember, each guinea pig has its own unique personalities with their own likes and dislikes.
So that means that not all of them will want to be taken out of their cage and held to the point where they’re going to go to sleep on you.
All guinea pigs won’t always like the same things, so if your guinea pig doesn’t like to be on you like this then that’s perfectly fine, and you shouldn’t try to force them to do it.
How Can You Tell If Your Guinea Pig Has Fallen Asleep On You?
Having one of your guinea pigs outside of their cage and enjoying some cuddle time with them can lead to them going to sleep while they’re laying down on you every now and then.
If that actually happens, then sometimes it can be hard to tell if your guinea pig has actually fallen asleep on you or not.
Luckily there are a few behaviors that they will display that can help you out with determining if they’re still awake or if they have gone to sleep.
For example, if your guinea pig is yawning a lot and their eyes are only half shut, then this can mean that they’re not fully asleep yet but they’re about to drift off to sleep.
When they’re not actually asleep yet and they’re showing this type of behavior, then you may also notice that they will still move around and fidget a little bit as well but still seem very relaxed.
One way to tell when your guinea pig is actually asleep on you is if you notice that their whiskers and ears are twitching.
This is common to see when they have just fallen asleep and also after they have been asleep for a while too.
Another way to tell if your guinea pig is really sleeping is if their eyes are fully closed and they’re not yawning or moving around as much.
Although this isn’t always the case because some guinea pigs can actually fall asleep with their eyes open sometimes, and this is completely normal for them to do.
So if your guinea pig is actually sleeping on you and they’re doing it with their eyes open, then you might notice that their eyes will move around at a rapid pace.
The reason why that this can mean that they’re sleeping is that their rapid eye movement can mean that they’re in REM sleep, which is apart of the sleep cycle in mammals.
But usually, if their eyes are all the way closed and they looked relaxed and stretched out, then this is a good indicator that they have actually fallen asleep while they’re on you.
What Does It Mean If A Guinea Pig Lays Down On You Without Falling Asleep?
If you have a guinea pig that lays down flat on you without falling asleep, then that’s fine because not all of them will want to do this.
Guinea pigs are typically very nervous animals and it is natural for them to be that way, so they might not always fall asleep when laying down on you even if they have become really used to you.
But if your guinea pig does lay down on you, then it can mean that they feel comfortable enough with you to be able to show some type of vulnerability and cuddle up with you.
It can also mean that they actually enjoy being around you and that they feel safe enough to relax while they lay down on you.
Sometimes while they’re laying on you they may even want you to pet them, however not all guinea pigs will want or like this.
But if they do, then they may want to enjoy that type of affection until they eventually start to fall asleep while they’re on top of you.
What Does It Mean If Your Guinea Pig Falls Asleep On You?
So what if one of your guinea pigs does fall asleep on you, what does that actually mean?
Most of the time this can mean that they really like you and that they feel safe while you’re around them.
This is a really good sign because this shows that they trust you not to harm them in any way while they’re sleeping, which can be hard for some guinea pigs to do.
So it can mean that you’re doing a really good job as their owner if they like and trust you enough to be that vulnerable around you.
It can also be a good thing because it can mean that you have a guinea pig that likes these types of activities.
You have to remember that a lot of guinea pigs won’t like to be touched or held, and that is natural for them to not want that to happen.
So if you do have one that does like to be held and will fall asleep on you, then that can open up the door to other activities where you’re able to physically interact with your guinea pigs, which can be a great experience.
What Should You Do If Your Guinea Pig Falls Asleep On You?
If you’re lucky enough to have a guinea pig that does actually fall asleep while they’re on you, then it’s natural to wonder if you need to do something for them.
But most of the time you won’t really have to do anything to or for them. It’s actually all about what you shouldn’t do to them while they’re sleeping.
So for example, if they have actually fallen asleep then try not to disturb them as best as you can.
That way they can sleep peacefully and it’ll be a higher chance that they’ll like to do it again because it was a good experience for them.
Another thing that you won’t have to try to do is wake them up. Because most of the time when a guinea pig falls asleep on you they won’t stay asleep for long periods of time.
They’ll wake up and open their eyes on their own to either change sleeping positions or just to get up because they’re done with their little nap.
Plus if you move too quickly or if they hear different sounds that may scare them, then that can cause them to go on high alert, and then they’ll wake up as well.
So if you do have a guinea pig that feels comfortable enough to fall asleep on you, then you won’t really have to do much for it to be a good experience for you and them.