Still going to sleep extremely early!

[Em Lynch]

Willow is still tired out and calling it a night at 3:30 in the afternoon? Our clocks have just gone forward and i was expecting her to "stay up" a little longer now the weather is getting warmer, i thought nothing of it when we first got her in January because the days were very dark and she went into brumation for a short while during that period. is this normal behaviour for a beardie to curl up and go to sleep this early? - thanks in advance for any advice

 

[Jp]

How old is Willow & what are the temps in her enclosure?

 

[Em Lynch]

I don't know how old she is exactly because i rescued her, but i was told between 12-14 months, from what i gather she was born between October and November 2010. Her temps are normally 90 under her basking light and 70 on the cool side but she never goes to her cool side, she always stays under her basking light all day. Her old owner never used to let the heat drop below 90 in her enclosure even at night but since i've had her i let her cool right down to sleep

 

[Em Lynch]

*she hatched

 

[Jp]

I don't know how old she is exactly because i rescued her, but i was told between 12-14 months, from what i gather she was born between October and November 2010. Her temps are normally 90 under her basking light and 70 on the cool side but she never goes to her cool side, she always stays under her basking light all day. Her old owner never used to let the heat drop below 90 in her enclosure even at night but since i've had her i let her cool right down to sleep

The temps definitely need to come up to 100-105 for her to properly digest any food. You will also notice a difference in how active she is.

 

[Aleena]

Em, do you use a night heat lamp? I was looking at an old photo and it gave off kind of a redish glow. Make sure you're providing proper "lights out" time, but not until after her lights have been on for the 12 hours that they should be on. If you shut them out earlier, she may get confused. Just cuz she's sleepin doesn't mean it's lights out time. Beardies in captivity can get confused if we don't do things consistently. Lights and heat on at round abouts the same time in the morning, and off at the same time every night, unless you're allowing her to brumate then it should be shortened. No night lights, it bothers them and doesn't allow them to get the proper sleep.

 

[Em Lynch]

Thanks for your help guys, yes Aleena i do use a red night light. I had never owned a beardie until January and i bought the red night light at the reptile store after reading the box it seemed like the perfect solution to night heating. I know now that red night lights aren't the perfect solution and i'm hoping to get a CHE in the very near future as she seems agitated, will a CHE fit into my existing screw fixture?

I tend to turn off the UVB around an hour after she settles each night and the lights are on in the morning at 8am, I'm trying my best to keep her happy and i'm still learning, i'm not ignorant to her needs its just a matter of getting things perfect now

 

[Germ]

Yes, a CHE will fit into a regular incandescent bulb socket. What are your ambient room temps at night in the room that the enclosure is kept in? Where in the enclosure does she usually call it a night at 3:30 pm? Have you managed to raise her daytime temps 15F in both areas?

 

[Em Lynch]

The ambient room temperature at night is between 20-22 degrees Celsius at night where her enclosure sits. she normally crawls off her bark where she basks under her light then goes under it and nestles into her play sand and starts to cool down and close her eyes, and yes daytime temps have been raised.

 

[Germ]

Night heat/light is definitely not needed or wanted & may quite likely why it has strange sleep patterns.

 

[Em Lynch]

why *she not it :L
I use a night bulb during the day in conjuction with the UVB light as recommended by my vet. She said it would be wise to find a different source of heat rather than a white basking light because she was over-exposed (it was never turned off even at night) to it by her previous owner and this has caused some damage to her eyes making them very sensitive to light. She is susceptible to photo-kerato conjunctivitis as a result of this and every time i've tried using a basking light the symptoms have been instantaneous and her eyes seal shut within an hour. I'm going to buy a CHE this week to provide day and night heat and this sleeping pattern issue should be resolved,

i'm happy to take advice and it was a personal decision to buy the infrared bulb at the reptile store after i saw them using it in multiple, healthy beardie enclosures. But now i know the side effects i will invest in a CHE.

 

[Em Lynch]

I did post a very long reply with pictures before that one but it seems to have disappeared




The duplicate post & the reference to the other here, was deleted & nothing else, because you have it posted in the Habitat section. - Mod

 

[Germ]

why *she not it :L ?

I'm going to buy a CHE this week to provide day and night heat and this sleeping pattern issue should be resolved

Once again, at the ambient temps that you have said your enclosures room is, night heat is not needed or wanted, your BD should be allowed to cool at night, it slows the metabolism for a Good night's sleep.

 

[Em Lynch]

*sorry i forgot to mention that my night heat is on thermostat and only kicks in if the temperatures drop below 18 degrees celcius (64.4 ºF) i understand she should cool at night

 

[Germ]

Where do you have the sensor for the thermostat? I would like some advice on setting that up & what is used, would come in handy at times.

 

[Em Lynch]

The sensor is supposed to be placed at the "cool end" do you have a Habistat?

Mine is amazing, i don't know what i'd do without it its great her heat cuts off when the viv gets too hot. I generally turn the dial down to the 64 section at night so the heat only cuts in if it gets really cold in the house

 

[Germ]

No I don't, but there is the odd time or application that it would come in handy, thanks.

 

[Em Lynch]

No problem I think, if i'm correct they are more commonly found here in the U.K but i'm sure there is a U.S version just the same

 

[Germ]

I'm in Canada, but have seen similar units, if not the same.