05/29/2026
💤 Whether you worked or enjoyed the long weekend, we bet everyone wanted to hit the snooze button on their alarms this morning. But let’s talk horses and sleep before you decide to shut your eyes for an extra 5 minutes.
💤 What type of sleepers are horses?
Horses are polyphasic sleepers. Compared to most humans being monophasic sleepers meaning sleep is in one continuous block of time. Horses sleep for short periods of time throughout the day totaling about 3 hours. Senior horses and foals will likely sleep more.
💤 What are the stages of sleep?
Wakefulness (Or Awake), Light Sleep, Slow Wave Sleep and Rapid Eye Movement (REM).
💤 When horses are standing yet appear to be sleeping, what stage of sleep is this?
Horses can only do slow wave sleep when standing; however, this stage of sleep can occur in a horse laying down. Slow wave sleep is a decrease in brain activity and a relaxed physical state yet the stay apparatus is engaged.
💤 What about REM sleep?
What most of us know as REM sleep or rapid eye movement can only occur in horses laying down.
💤 Why?
Because REM sleep is when the muscles lose their tone which would make it impossible for horses to stay standing. Typically, horses will have a total of 20-30 minutes of REM sleep in 24 hours.
💤 What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is an uncommon REM sleep disorder that often occurs during the day that is exhibited as sleepiness and even cataplexy in some cases. It is commonly triggered by external stimuli.
💤 What is sleep deprivation?
Sleep deprivation is simply caused by a lack of sleep. This could be due to the horse’s environment, herd, or other factors such as difficulty laying down and getting up. It is more common for a horse to have sleep deprivation than narcolepsy.
💤 Do horses dream?
Dreaming occurs during periods of REM sleep.
💤 If you think your horse is experiencing sleep deprivation discuss the signs with your veterinarian.
📸: We love seeing a mare and foal catching some 💤 when in the hospital.
