Your hedgehog needs to get enough sleep. Most experienced hedgehog owners know how difficult a sleep-deprived hedgehog can be. After playing with you, foraging around in its enclosure, and running on the wheel, your hedgehog needs a good sleep to recover the lost energy.
So, what time should my hedgehog wake up? A hedgehog will wake up at 6 pm or 7 pm. Because hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures, they spend the day sleeping and are active during the night. You can only interact with your hedgehog during the night. Hedgehogs need 8 to 12 hours of sleep, but, sometimes, they can sleep for more hours or less, depending on the circumstances.
Hedgehogs are big sleepers and can be grumpy if they do not get enough sleep. You need to know when your hedgehog will wake up before you interact with it. Read on to find out more on what time hedgehogs usually wake up, why your hedgehog is awake during the day, and if your hedgehog can be awake during the day.
What Time Do Hedgehogs Usually Wake Up?
It is normal for hedgehog owners to spend a lot of time waiting for their pet to wake up. Some will try to wake up their hedgehogs, while others prefer to wait.
Most Hedgehogs usually wake up at 6 pm or 7 pm or around the time when the sun goes down. Some hedgehogs can sleep up to 9 pm. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, meaning they become active during the night. Some hedgehogs can wake up on their own, but others need to be woken up.
Hedgehogs can sleep up to 18 hours a day, especially babies, which can ruin your chances of bonding with it. If your hedgehog has been sleeping for up to 12 hours, you can gently wake it up.
As nocturnal creatures, most of the interaction hedgehogs have with their owners is during the night. If you go to bed around 9 pm or 10 pm, your hedgehog should be awake by 7 pm. You will have close to three hours to bond with your hedgehog.
If your hedgehog is not awake by 7 pm, you can gently wake it up. You have to find the best way to wake your hedgehog up; or else, you will be dealing with an angry hedgehog for the next few hours.
The best procedure of waking up your hedgehog is similar to that of picking it up. You have to gently put both your hands underneath the hedgehog and scoop it up. The hedgehog will slowly start to wake up in your hands, and it will be sniffing the air and looking around. Ensure your hands have the scent your hedgehog is used to. Your hedgehog will be nervous and grumpy if it wakes up in an unfamiliar environment.
To ensure your hedgehog has enough sleep, keep its enclosure in a quiet place inside your house. Hedgehogs sleep during the day when there are numerous loud activities. If you have children, ask them to play in another room away from your hedgehog.
Do not keep your hedgehog’s enclosure close to loud pets such as parrots. Loud noises during the day will make your hedgehog neurotic, and if you cannot provide a hedgehog with a quiet place to sleep, it is not the right pet for you.
Check the temperature of your hedgehog’s enclosure to ensure it does not get too cold. In the wild, hedgehogs will hibernate during the cold season and wake up during the warm season. In your home, it is dangerous for your hedgehog to hibernate.
This is because your hedgehog will not eat excessively in anticipation of the winter; therefore, it will be underweight and might die from malnutrition if it goes into hibernation. If you think your hedgehog is going into hibernation, increase the temperature in its enclosure and gently try to wake it up.
Why Is My Hedgehog Awake During the Day?
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals that spend most of the day sleeping and foraging for food at night. You might walk by your hedgehog’s enclosure and notice it is awake and wonder if there is something wrong with your pet. Several reasons might keep your hedgehog awake during the day.
One of the reasons why your hedgehog is awake during the day is the new surroundings. After taking your hedgehog home, it will take some time to get used to its new home. Once your hedgehog gets used to the new surroundings, it will get back to its regular sleeping schedule. If your hedgehog does not start sleeping during the day, try to create conditions that will make it go to sleep, like covering its cage, lowering the temperature, and reducing noise levels around the house.
If your hedgehog has been injured, it may be experiencing a lot of pain, making it difficult to sleep. Illness can also disrupt your hedgehog’s sleeping schedule, and you should always check your hedgehog for any signs of injuries or illness. You should take your hedgehog to the veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
If your hedgehog is stressed, it will have a difficult time sleeping. Stress can be caused by noise and handling. Reduce the noise levels in your house for your hedgehog to sleep peacefully. You should also avoid handling yourself during the day. Ensure your hedgehog’s enclosure is in a secure and quiet place inside your house.
Young hedgehogs can also spend some time awake. Young hedgehogs usually sleep up to 18 hours and might wake during the day to eat. The mother of the hedgehog can also be awake during the day to feed her babies.
A pregnant hedgehog can also stay awake for a few hours during the day. There is no need to worry about it because your hedgehog will be back to its regular sleeping schedule after a few days.
Can Hedgehogs Be Awake During the Day?
Most pet owners are free during the day and tired in the evening. If you own a hedgehog, you have to wait until it is dark for you to interact with your pet. Hedgehogs might be nocturnal animals, but in some instances, they can also stay awake during the day.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, but they can be awake during the day. Sometimes, your hedgehog will wake up during the day to find food and water. You might see your hedgehog walking around its cage a few times during the day. After your hedgehog finds food or water, it will go back in its hide or sleeping bag to sleep. However, waking up during the day does not happen regularly. It is very rare for a hedgehog to interrupt its sleep during the day.
The temperature inside your hedgehog’s enclosure can keep it awake during the day. Most people use heating pads to provide heat to their hedgehog. The heating pads are installed under the floor of the enclosure, and the heat is adjusted accordingly.
If the temperature in the enclosure is too high, your hedgehog will have a difficult time going to sleep. If you are using a heating pad, keep it on one side of the enclosure so that your hedgehog can move to the cool side of the enclosure to sleep.
If there is too much light in the enclosure, your hedgehog might stay awake during the day. Hedgehogs like to sleep in dark places, and they will never go to sleep in open areas. Your hedgehog will look for a dark place in its enclosure so that it can sleep. If the hedgehog is not comfortable sleeping in its hide, it will move to another spot. Ensure there is little light penetrating the enclosure during the day.
You can handle your hedgehog during the day it is awake. You can play and cuddle with your hedgehog for 20 to 30 minutes during the day. However, you should watch for signs that your hedgehog wants to go to sleep.
The signs you should look out for include sitting still and appearing too lazy to play, becoming aggressive and walking or running away from you, and biting you if you keep insisting on handling it. If you notice any of the signs, take your hedgehog to its enclosure and let it have some rest.
Finally
Most hedgehogs usually sleep during the day and wake up at 6 pm or 7 pm when the sun goes down. The time can change depending on how bright it is around the hedgehog’s enclosure. The temperature in the enclosure, new surroundings, stress, injuries, or illnesses are some of the reasons why your hedgehog is awake during the day.
If your hedgehog is active at some point during the day, you can handle it or leave it alone. When handling it during the day, check for signs it wants to sleep and place it in its cage once it starts to exhibit those signs. Do not force your hedgehog to stay awake during the day. If your schedule does not give you time to handle your hedgehog during the night, you should wait until you are free.
