# Day and night cycle for hedgehog



## Hikari777 (Sep 6, 2018)

I'm really new here and figured this is where i should ask this question. How do you make a day night cycle for hedgehogs? All i can think at the moment is just turning the light off in the room when it's night time because with a heat lamp, a cover would be a fire hazard. Is a day and night cycle an important part of an enclosure, or would heat be enough to stop them from hibernating?


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

The type of heat bulb you should be using is a ceramic heat emitting bulb. They only emit heat, not light, so it will have no bearing on a hedgehogs day/night cycle. What you want to do is get a lamp on a timer, or be willing to consistently turn a light in the room on and off at the same times every day. You want the light on during the day and the light off at night. Remember, these are nocturnal creatures, so they need darkness at night to function and light during they day so they know it's time to be hiding somewhere sleeping. The purpose of having it is because having daylight is not a sure thing. If you have a dark, cloudy, rainy day, you're not going to have sunlight, thus you need a light to keep the consistent cycle.


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## Hikari777 (Sep 6, 2018)

shinydistraction said:


> The type of heat bulb you should be using is a ceramic heat emitting bulb. They only emit heat, not light, so it will have no bearing on a hedgehogs day/night cycle. What you want to do is get a lamp on a timer, or be willing to consistently turn a light in the room on and off at the same times every day. You want the light on during the day and the light off at night. Remember, these are nocturnal creatures, so they need darkness at night to function and light during they day so they know it's time to be hiding somewhere sleeping. The purpose of having it is because having daylight is not a sure thing. If you have a dark, cloudy, rainy day, you're not going to have sunlight, thus you need a light to keep the consistent cycle.


I will definitely look into getting a timer and some small lights for the enclosure. Would a dimly lit room be an acceptable thing for nightime (such as a lamp on the other side of the room not pointed toward the enclosure) because i can't have the room completely dark. Thank you foe your help I really appreciate it!


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

It really depends on the hog, but I would avoid it. Some hogs won't come out at night to do their normal hedgehog things if there's too much light in the room. Remember, these are nocturnal animals built to exist in the dark. Perhaps your hedgehog should live in room that you can have completely dark at night?


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## Ria (Aug 30, 2018)

I have a dimly lit light in my hegehogs room. Because thats the only room I have to put her in.
Anyway I cover the sides of the cage likely to get hit with a little light. And positioned the lamp so that shes got pretty much darkness. But this doesnt effect her from coming out and running on her wheel all night. 
Though shes had this since the first day I got her and her cage still stays dark (I checked and did a lot of moving things in the room). It does depend on the hedgehog, some are more sensative to light than others are. So you could alway try, your hedgehog doesnt come out at night then I’d say its a no for you, and you may have to change its room to a room that can be completly dark.


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## LuckFupus458 (Jul 30, 2018)

My room is partially lit by the light of my TV at night and my girl doesn't seem to mind. Maybe she thinks it's moonlight, lol!


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## Hikari777 (Sep 6, 2018)

So i asked the breeder i got my little guy from and he said that my particular hedgie has not had any issues with light at night. Its been a couple days and ive taken everyones suggestions into play and he seems to come out and run around! I turn off all the lights except my tv (which isn't facing the cage and doesn't give off much light to it) and he's roaming around and everything! Thank you so much for all of your suggestions and when i do have a better way of covering the sides of the cage (i was using a blanket but a small bit of light was coming through) I will definitely try that more!


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