If you have a bearded dragon you might want to know whether they’re nocturnal or if they sleep at night. The good news is this article can help you understand whether your bearded dragon is awake at night or if it sleeps during the dark hours.
The truth is that bearded dragons are not nocturnal. They are, in fact, diurnal which means they are active during the day. This means you can expect your bearded dragon to be as awake as you are in the daylight hours.
We’re now going to take a look at how long Bearded dragons should stay away in the summer and winter. We’ll also look at how you can encourage brumation.
What This Means for you
As bearded dragons are diurnal, it means they are active in the day. Bearded dragons typically spend up to 13 hours each day being quite active.
Does this mean that you need to be quiet in the evenings or should you switch the lights on? We’re also going to explore this subject.
Are Bearded Dragons Nocturnal
As we have already mentioned, bearded dragons are diurnal as opposed to being nocturnal. In the night, bearded dragons happily sleep in the sand or in caves. Sleeping this way helps to keep them safe.
When morning comes around, bearded dragons leave their spot in the sand or cave and look for water. They find water by on plants and drink the drops of dew.
The next thing most bearded dragons do is to look for a space to bask. They do this to ensure that their body reaches the correct temperature. Once the Bearded dragon is warm enough they will go hunting.
Once a bearded dragon has satisfied their need to hunt they will are likely to fight any male bearded dragons they come across. This means they can actually be quite active in the wild and just as active when they live in a terrarium.
Daytime and Nighttime
A lot of bearded dragon owners switch the terrarium lights off and back on again when they please. However, this is not always the best way to stimulate the diurnal cycle.
Ideally, you should always use a timer switch as it will help you get the daytime and the nighttime right. If you decide to switch the lights on and off manually it can cause problems. For example, you might be out later than you think and fail to switch the lights off. Alternatively, you might forget to switch them off or on again.
When you fail to switch the lights on and off it’s likely that your bearded dragon will become confused. It could even end up sleeping with the lights on. When a bearded dragon does this they’re biorhythm will be upset. Did you know that an upset biorhythm can even lead to a disease which can cause death?
Sleeping for 11 to 14 Hours
Your bearded dragon will need to sleep for up to 11 hours during the summer months and 14 during the winter months.
When your bearded dragon knows when the nights are darker they will know it’s time for the brumation period again. The brumation phase is a lot easier to simulate if you turn the lights off in the terrarium when it gets dark outside.
Starting Brumation
When it comes to starting brumation you need to make sure that you begin decreasing daytime in September. You can start by switching the ‘day’ lights on 15 minutes later. You can then start switching the ‘night’ lights on 15 minutes earlier. Do this until January and until there are 10 hours of daylight in the terrarium during the day.
In February, you need to switch the ‘day’ lights on 15 minutes earlier. You should switch the ‘day’ lights off 15 minutes later. During the summer months, the day cycle should last no longer than 13 hours. The day cycle should be the longest during the months of June – August.
If Your Bearded Dragon Sleeps in The Day
If you find that your bearded dragon sleeps during the day you will need to do something about it. This is because bearded dragons should not sleep in the day time.
Bearded dragons should bask and be active when they’re not basking. However, if your dragon likes to sleep then you’ll need to do something about it. Here’s what you need to do:
Check the lighting – the lights you should have in your terrarium need to provide UVB light and warmth. Many lights that you can buy for terrariums are unsuitable and do not provide enough UVB. There’s always a chance that the temperature in the tank is not great. Make sure you check your lighting and replace it if you need to.
Check the feeding habits – you might not be feeding your bearded dragon properly. You could be feeding your dragon the wrong supplements or you could even be overfeeding them.
If you find that you are feeding your bearded dragon correctly and it’s still sleeping it could be ill. If this is the case it’s vital that you take your bearded dragon to the vet.
Conclusion
Your bearded dragon should have no need to sleep during the day. It loves basking in the light and will happily move about during the day. This is why it is vital that the lighting is perfect as it will help your bearded dragon to stay healthy.
