On the first part, this is something I've considered now that this emote is available (it wasn't always), however I believe the rest animation is enforced by the NWN engine, and may not be easily overridden. It also wouldn't make any sense for elves as elves don't technically sleep, but rather meditate for a few hours to rejuvenate both mind and body. This is illustrated in how they don't snore when they rest. Of course, a special case can be made for this. At any rate, I'd say this is a "maybe".
On the second part, the bumb radius is out of our control. It's handled by the NWN engine and there's very little that we can actually do there. One option available, however, is to barter with someone, as bartering seems to cause a serious invasion of one's personal space, allowing PCs to get much closer than they normally could in most cases.
