Sleeping is a very important activity in the bodies of all living organisms. It helps living things like humans, animals, and even birds to have rest, and at this time, a lot of metabolic activities take place in the organism’s body. The bearded dragon, like any other organism, sleeps too. However, bearded dragons depict some sleeping stances that may leave you wondering and asking questions such as, Why does my bearded dragon sleep with his head up?
Well, it is a common behavior, especially in beardies that are kept as pets, to lean their heads on the glass enclosure when sleeping.
The following are some of the possible reasons why your bearded dragon is sleeping with his head up:
1. Unsuitable Temperatures
Bearded dragons that are kept as pets need a variation in temperature. Since these reptiles rely solely on external heat to regulate their body temperature, you need to ensure that the temperature variation in their enclosure is correct.
Normally, the surrounding temperature of the beardie should be between 75 and 85 degrees Celsius and provide an additional sun-receiving area with a temperature range of 95-105 degrees Celsius.
A bearded dragon requires these temperatures to control some vital body processes like digestion, reproduction, and even sleeping. When you notice your beardie leaning on the glass of it’s enclosure while it slumbers, this definitely means the temperature is high and it is trying to cool itself. The ideal temperature for bearded dragons to have a good sleep is about 70 degrees Celsius.
2. It Is Comfortable
Your bearded dragon is likely to slumber with its head up in the enclosure because it feels relaxed. Sleeping with the head up is a way by which a beardie shows its comfortability in the enclosure or glass. Unknown to many, bearded dragons enjoy sleeping while standing upright as opposed to lying down.
3. Nervousness
New bearded dragons always attempt to escape their enclosure due to stress. The stress is a result of the enclosure being too small for their common habitat, which they are used to. If you notice your bearded dragon sleeping upright, then it possibly means that it was trying to climb the enclosure in an effort to escape because it is tensed by the new environment.
To get rid of this, you need to provide your bearded dragon with a spacious environment and correct temperature variations.
4. Being Alert
Naturally, bearded dragons face a lot of danger from predators in the wild. They often sleep with their heads up to increase their alertness to enemies. However,if your bearded dragon pet is standing while asleep in the enclosure, where it is far from danger, then it is probably a result of genetics and evolution. Some characteristics are likely to be passed on to the next generation, including sleeping upright.
5. Injuries
Wounds and blisters on the underside of the bearded dragon always force it to lean on the glass while sleeping. This is because it feels pain when it lies down on its injured belly.
Why Do Bearded Dragons Sleep Upright?
Similarly, you may wonder, Why do bearded dragons sleep standing up? Or rather, Why do bearded dragons sleep upright?
Well, bearded dragons sleep upright due to:
1. Starvation
The food that your bearded dragons consume corresponds to how old they are. Younger bearded dragons mostly prefer consuming live insects as opposed to older beardies, who mainly feed on vegetables.
However, if you underfeed your beardie,it will starve, and as a way to get food, it will stand up as a way of trying to escape from the enclosure to look for food. Ensure you feed your beardie correctly to minimize this behavior.
2. Scaring Away Predators
Your beardie may be seeing some potential enemies in the enclosure or around it. As a way of protecting itself, it will puff out and grow tall to try and frighten away the lurking threat.
3. Familiarizing Itself With the New Environment
Your bearded dragon may stand up in an effort to survey it’s new habitat. This also helps it identify where to get food. Wild bearded dragons mostly use this trick to keep away from predators and to look for food.
What Are Bearded Dragons Sleeping Habits?
You might also be curious: do bearded dragons sleep in weird positions? Yes. Beardies often sleep on their bellies, but at times they showcase very strange sleeping postures like leaning on the glass or enclosure.
Moreover, bearded dragons display various habits when sleeping, which include:
1. Sleeping for a Longer Period of Time
During winter, bearded dragons enter a period of inactivity. This unique behavior is known as brumation, which is like hibernation in other reptiles.
2. Turning Its Color
It is not strange for sleeping bearded dragons to change their skin color. It is very common for them to change to a light shade at night while asleep. According to researchers, this behavior is due to the Circadian rhythm.
3. Burrowing Inside the Substrate
It is absolutely normal for bearded dragons to cover themselves in the substrate. This may be due to excessive lighting in it’s enclosure. Ensure that you regulate the source of light in the enclosure whenever it shows signs of burrowing inside the sand.
4. Intermittent Breathing
Bearded dragons can really disguise themselves as not breathing. This might shock you, but it is absolutely common in bearded dragons. At this time, a lot of metabolic activities are taking place, so the beardie opts to breathe slowly.
Do Bearded Dragons Need a Soft Place to Sleep?
Yes. Like every other animal, bearded dragons need soft, warm, and cozy bedding for their sleep.
Furthermore, you may notice your beardie laying on the floor instead of the bedding you’ve provided for it, and you may be curious: Why is my bearded dragon sleeping on the floor?
Well, your bearded dragon might be sleeping on the floor due to an imbalance of heat in the enclosure, or there might be too much heat, and so the beardie ‘pancakes’ itself on the floor as a way of getting cool.
Nevertheless, having a soft sleeping area for your bearded dragon will prevent unnecessary injuries, and it also helps in minimizing anxiety and regulating temperature. Organic top soil is an ideal choice for making your bearded dragon’s bedtime paradise. This is because it is toxic free, soft, and safe, hence providing a comfortable place for your bearded dragon to take a nap.
Other materials that can be used in place of top soil are: newspapers, blankets, and mulch, provided that they are not wet.
Sleeping Bearded Dragon
You may ask, Do bearded dragons sleep with their eyes open? No. Like every other animal with eyelids, bearded dragons sleep with their eyes closed. This helps their eyeballs not dry out and also protects them from injuries.
However, bearded dragons can have their eyes open when sleeping because of too much light and noise in their surroundings.
Bearded dragons usually display very unusual behavior. Occasionally, they go into a deep sleep, a process called brumation. This is when they are inactive. During this time, they tend to sleep with their eyes open because they need the natural light. When it sleeps with its eyes open, it helps it in restructuring according to the ambient temperature and so regulates it’s body temperature easily.
Additionally, you may be disturbed and ask, How do you know that your dragon is sleeping? When bearded dragons are brumating, they become inactive and do not eat or respond to anything. At this point, your bearded dragon is sleeping with his eyes open. However, when it sleeps normally, the eyes are closed, and the bearded dragon wakes on a daily basis as usual.
Bearded Dragon Sleeping in Corner
Similarly, bearded dragons sleep on the cold side, for instance, in a corner, because they are ectotherms. This means they entirely depend on external heat to regulate their body temperature.
When the temperature is too high, they will tend to move to the colder side of the enclosure to cool themselves.
Ensure that you provide your beardie with an ideal temperature variation that will make it feel comfortable.
Additionally, there are several reasons as to why your beardie is sleeping in the corner of the enclosure:
1. More Comfortable
The corner where your bearded dragon is sleeping might be the perfect place where it feels more relaxed when taking a nap. The corner might have the correct temperature it needs, good lighting, and be more comfortable, and so the beardie finds it hard to resist this.
To encourage your beardie to sleep in other places in the enclosure, you can place some cozy sleeping areas for it at random spots in the enclosure so that it has a variety of options.
2. Inappropriate Temperatures
Bearded dragons are cold blooded and therefore they depend on external heat to regulate their temperature and metabolic activities. Inside the enclosure, you should provide a warm and cold side with the correct temperature range. On the warm side,the temperature should be about 95 degrees Celsius, and on the colder side, it should be about 75 degrees Celsius.
If the temperature variation is wrong in the enclosure, then your pet may resolve to sleep in the corner.
3. Hideouts
Bearded dragons need places to hide when they feel tensed or threatened. Therefore, a corner is an ideal place for them to hide in such situations.
4. Sickness
Your beardie might fall sick while in the corner, and so it can be very weak to move from the corner to any other place in the enclosure. Check for signs like wheezing, coughing, and sneezing and call a vet as soon as possible.
5. Obstruction of the Digestive Tract
Impaction can lead to the bearded dragons getting stuck in the corner. When your bearded dragon’s gut is blocked, it is painful, especially when they move. For them to reduce this pain, they remain and sleep at that one point in the corner of the enclosure.
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