What happens when a betta fish goes to sleep and do they experience dreams and rapid eye movement like humans and mammals do? Well, betta fish have no eyelids so for the new owner, it might be hard to tell when they’re actually sleeping or they’re just floating there aimlessly. They’re very territorial fish and are always on the lookout for possible intruders.
How do you know when a betta fish is sleeping? It’s commonly believed that a betta fish will take the opportunity to rest once their tank goes dark, so usually, at night time. They’ll find a nice spot where they can relax and they will become inactive until the light returns or until something startles them and then they’ll be up for the remainder of the day.
However, betta fish also take naps as well. Some people panic when at the sight of their fish just floating at the top of the water or just laying down on the bottom of the tank but there’s no need to panic because not only do they sleep, but they take naps as well. While it’s true that a dead betta fish and a sleeping betta fish don’t look any different in appearance, if you try to pick it up or move it and it’s sleeping, it will be started and start swimming around.
The most common sign of a sleeping or resting betta is that they’ll find a plant if you’ve provided one in your tank and they’ll be resting in the plant. The fish may not sleep much in a new environment or when you first purchase the fish but it takes time to get used to the new environment and surroundings.
