French bulldogs are champions in sleeping. They prefer to sleep even for a whole day to restore their energy as they are a vigorously active breed. Now the question is, do Frenchies sleep with their eyes open?
In short, YES! French bulldogs tend to sleep with their eyes open and typically it is common with this breed. The reasons for the particular condition have been identified as dreaming, seizures, as a defense mechanism, and sometimes health conditions such as cherry eye and Lagophthalmos.
Is it a condition to worry or is it their nature? What are the other sleeping habits of French bulldogs? Continue reading and you will have answers.
Table of contents
Why Do French Bulldogs Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
It is very common to have a sleepy Frenchie and they love to sleep more than anything else. I know the struggle of waking him up from his snoring and comfy sleep.
French bulldogs have their ways of sleeping. But, some are confusing you. If you are a parent of a french bulldog, you might have seen that sometimes he is sleeping with his eyes open like a ghost or someone who is tripping.
First of all, it should be mentioned that it is a typical habit of French Bulldogs and this condition can be seen among most dog breeds. But, sometimes it can be related to a health issue as well.
In such a situation, once you encounter that your Frenchy is sleeping with his eyes open take him to the vet and they will tell you whether it is a health condition or not.
Before that, we’ll look into the reasons why a French bulldog is sleeping with his eyes open.
1 . Dreaming
Doggies are also dreaming like us. Usually, the phase of dreaming takes place when the doggy is in REM sleep.
Therefore in dreaming, your Frenchie might look with open eyes even though physically they are enjoying a good sleep. Sometimes, they display some movements and even some soft sounds while twitching their legs.
2 . Seizures
Seizures take a different interpretation than dreams. If your Frenchie looks so aggressive, and tense while snapping jaws, it is not dreaming. It is the condition of seizures that leads them to sleep with their eyes open.
Sometimes, a Frenchie can moan, howl, and make some unusual and distressing noises like barking when he is experiencing seizures. He is no calmer like he is dreaming.
In such conditions, your Frenchie tends to sleep with their eyes open and you can easily check whether it is a seizure or not by calling their name. If he is in a dream, he will quickly respond and if he is in a seizure, you won’t be able to wake him up.
Do not make any loud noises and talk to your Frenchie in a calm tone when he is experiencing a seizure as it is a condition that can make him vulnerable and lost.
Most importantly, if your Frenchy is undergoing seizures much in his sleep make sure his surroundings are safe without any furniture or substances which might harm them as they are far away from ‘just dreaming.
After experiencing a seizure it is better to take your Frenchie to a vet and then he will discover the cause to undergo a seizure after running some tests.
3. An Ancestral Thing!
Some researchers suggest that French Bulldogs sleep with their eyes open as their ancestors also used this as a defense mechanism.
This sleeping habit of sleeping with their eyes open has led them to protect themselves from predators. Though your Frenchie is not having any predators or dangers now, their DNA contains the quirk still.
Apart from the above reasons, when your Frenchy’s membrane does not work properly, they are experiencing sleep with their eyes open since the membrane is unable to cover the whole eye.
What Are The Other Conditions For A Frenchie To Sleep With Her Eyes Open?
Some medical conditions can lead your Frenchie to sleep with their eyes open.
1 . Cherry Eye
Cherry eye occurs when your Frenchie’s 3rd eyelid gland is swollen and red like a large cherry. Do you know what is interesting? This is a common genetic abnormality that can be especially found in Bulldogs or other flat-faced dogs.
The condition of the cherry eye causes your Frenchie to sleep with his eyes open and this can be cured with surgery. So, once you identify that your Frenchy has the condition, take him to the vet soon as it is not naturally recovering.
2 . Lagophthalmos
When your Frenchie’s eye globe is too big he cannot close his eyes fully as his eyelids are comparatively smaller. This can be identified as a genetic condition or can emerge as a symptom of diseases like Glaucoma.
So, recently if your Frenchie has started to sleep with his eyes open, this can be the reason, and better to take him to the vet as they know what the exact situation of your Frenchy is.
3 . Narcolepsy
If by any chance your Frenchie is having narcolepsy he might tend to sleep with his eyes open. Narcolepsy is a disorder in the nervous system which leads your dog to fall asleep but is physically active.
In this condition, your Frenchie might fall asleep suddenly while eating, going to the bathroom, or playing. This is not something to wait and watch. He needs to be checked properly by a vet.
All of the above reasons can cause your Frenchy to sleep with his eyes open and if it is just dreaming you do not have to panic. What you need to do is observe him very closely and stay on alert when he is sleeping.
You have to identify whether it is normal or a medical condition and if you are unable to decide, take the help of your vet. Make sure your Frenchie ball is safe from bad health conditions.
Is It Normal Or Should I Be Worried About My Frenchie Sleeping With His Eyes Open?
Well, the reason for your Frenchie to sleep with his eyes open is not due to any medical condition, you do not need to worry about his ghost sleep. But, you should stay alert when he is sleeping and observe him closely to know whether he is in a seizure or a dream.
Giving him more attention every time is important as Bulldogs are attention seekers. You can check why.
If he is in a seizure create a safe surrounding around him and let him be in a comfy zone. But, do not let him cross the boundaries and better to talk in a calm tone and wake him up gradually.
The reason is a medical condition, take your Frenchie to the vet ASAP and do not wait and watch till he is recovering naturally.
What Are The Other Sleeping Habits Of French Bulldogs?
Some more interesting sleeping patterns can be seen among French bulldogs.
1 . Sleep On His Back
Sometimes your Frenchie might sleep on his back which makes them so cool and comfy. This is more common during warm nights.
If he is sleeping on his back it means they have no fears or any distress and enjoy his sleep at ease.
2 . Sleeping With Tongues Out
This is one of the cutest and most common sleeping patterns of French bulldogs and all bulldog breeds. Though it seems funny, it can be a sign of hanging tongue syndrome.
Do not panic if he is sleeping after an energetic session of workout and it is quite normal.
3 . Making Noises
French bulldogs usually make more strange noises during their sleep as they have short snouts. You will hear him snoring with puffing noises and this is also a typical sleeping pattern of a Frenchy.
Final Thoughts
French Bulldogs who can sleep for hours are quite adorable stuff. But, it is a problem if they are sleeping with their eyes open. If you had any doubt about their condition, suppose by now you have realized the authentic phase of it.
So, do not panic when your buddy is sleeping with his eyes open as now you know the reasons and the solutions too. Stay alert and close observation of your Frenchie will be enough to solve the issue.
Cheers till next time!
