When Do Mice Go to Sleep

Mice are nocturnal animals, which means they sleep during the day. So when do  mice go to sleep, well seeing as they are active at night they sleep during the day.

This is why homeowners struggle to see them when they know they have mice coming in to their homes. Mice are active at night. As well as being good at avoiding being seen and caught.

Mice are small and quick. So trying to spot them in the dark is almost impossible. They run near to walls and will take cover in small hiding spots to avoid capture. I’ve had both wild mice in my home, and had pet mice escape from their cages. Both proved incredibly difficult to capture, so I know all too well how difficult it can be.

Mice and Their Biological Clocks

When do mice go to sleep and how much of this depends on their biological clocks? I wrote an article about how we can change their sleeping habits by using artificial light.

Almost every living creature has an internal biological clock. This helps ensure that the creature is awake, or asleep at the right times. Synchronizing their lives with the most optimal times to be awake in their environment.

Mice are awake during the night as this is the best time to scavenge for food and avoid predators. They have exceptional hearing and can detect movement through vibrations in the still of the night.

Mice have evolved to be very adept at surviving and if this means entering your house while you’re asleep. This is what they will do.

The Tau Mutation Experiment

To further study and prove how the biological works scientists added a genetic mutation and studied the effects. They utilized a mutation called tau. This altered the daily rhythm, and disturbed the natural biological clock.

They found the offspring had much longer lifespans and produced more babies. Interestingly the tau mutation started to thin out across the generations. Showing that natural selection will intervene to bring back the biological rhythm mice have developed.