# Time of Day vs Light



## depricated (Jun 2, 2009)

The way it was explained to me when I picked up my hedgie was that him being nocturnal didn't reflect on time of day, but on amount of light. I've been giving him 12-14 hours of continuous light each day since I got him, but I've noticed he sleeps a lot even with the light off. 

Now what I've been doing is turning the light on a little bit before I leave for work(around 8pm) and turning it off once I've finished settling in after work(8-10am). Today, as an example, I went to sleep around noon. He wasn't out and about until about 5pm though. His cage IS in a dimly lit area(lamp directly beside it) so it shouldn't be getting so much light in the day still.

My primary concern is if he's sleeping too much, getting too much 'sun', etc. I remember reading that they sleep a lot when you first bring them home, but I want to be sure that that's all this is. I know I read in the 'unnocturnalizing' thread that it can make them sick - what I'm doing isn't 'unnocturnalizing' is it? He still sleeps by the same conditions, just under a different clock. He's eating healthily and drinking healthily, and messing well besides, so I don't think he's in danger from that, but I want to be sure I'm not going to make him sick from this.

Should I leave the light off tonight and turn it on when I get home, and see how he does tomorrow night?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Let me get this straight....
You're turning the light on...during PM hours?

Hedgehogs are nocturnal...They come out during PM hours...No wonder he doesn't wake up until later....

How is his activity level? 

I suggest having light on during the "natural" daylight hours, and lights off during "natural" nighttime hours. So in other words...Turn the lights ON when you get home from work (8am-10am), then turn the lights OFF when you leave for work(8pm). You will have a much happier hedgie. 

What you're doing now might actually cause him more stress and make him sick.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

There is a chemical response within mammels (humans, hedgies, etc) that differs between day and night. I'm not a scientist so I can't explain much past that the body does react to where the moon and sun are in the sky. So while being nocturnal is based on light, it's the light the sun gives and not a lamp. 

My understanding is that the 12hrs of lamp light we want to give our hedgies is to avoid the increased darkness that comes during winter & prevent hibernation to that affect.

But I'm not a scientist.


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## depricated (Jun 2, 2009)

Well I've switched it up to see if he becomes less lethargic. We'll see tonight.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

You're going to make him sick. He needs light during daylight hours and darkness during the night. To do otherwise will mess with his circadian rhythm and he will not be healthy.


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## depricated (Jun 2, 2009)

I've been leaving his light on in the day for the past week and off at night. I never see him up because I'm at work when he's up, but I see evidence that he's been using his wheel(mainly lots of turds) and he's been eating/drinking while I was away, too. So that's good, he's up and about overnight.

However, I noticed that he doesn't sleep all day. Even with the light on just beside his cage, he still chills in his hole and stares out and occasionally freaks out when I move around near the cage. He also comes out to drink occasionally during the day. 

Is that second part normal?


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

depricated said:


> However, I noticed that he doesn't sleep all day. Even with the light on just beside his cage, he still chills in his hole and stares out and occasionally freaks out when I move around near the cage. He also comes out to drink occasionally during the day.


Sylvie will wake up occassionally during the day & check things out. Sometimes she'll give me an evil glare that I've woken her up.

Around what time is he waking up? If it's during the "day" day (like say 10am or 2pm) he might just be waking up for a short while. If it's later in the day, he might be an early riser?


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## depricated (Jun 2, 2009)

well I woke up just now, for instance, and heard him snuffle when I get out of bed. I looked down and he's staring at me from his hiding spot.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Mine doesn't normally wake up during the day, though sometimes, he'll shuffle out, eat and go back into hiding....

However, what I can think of, is since you'd been forcing him to come out during the day, he'd partially gotten used to it.

As long as he is eating, drinking and wheeling fine, and you're letting him go back to his natural day/night patterns, everything should be fine. ^_^


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