Leopard Gecko Sleeping Behavior and Timing

Leopard geckos are nocturnal animals, which means they are most active during the night and remain asleep during the day. Accordingly, leopard geckos are most active during dusk and dawn.

Leopard geckos can sleep too much or too little in captivity, which makes Leopard gecko owners concerned. Well, don't worry, in this article, we discuss Leopard geckos sleeping, and you can find all the answers you need.

What time do Leopard Geckos get to sleep?

It is important to remember that leopard geckos sleep during daylight hours and are active at night. They are most active during dusk and dawn, so it is best if you feed them during these hours.

How much sleep does a leopard gecko need to be healthy and fit?

For Leopard geckos to remain healthy, the average amount of sleep they need every day is between 12 and 13 hours.

Do Leopard Geckos have sleeping problems? How do I find out?

Leopard Geckos can indeed suffer from sleeping problems, such as when they sleep too much or maybe even too short.

There is no need to worry if your leopard gecko sleeps between 12 and 13 hours during the day, but if it sleeps more than 13 hours during the day, you need to be concerned, or if it sleeps less than 12 hours and only sleeps during the night and the dusk and dawn of the day, then it is likely that your leopard gecko is suffering from some sort of disease.

Why does my leopard gecko sleep so much?

In general, leopard geckos sleep between 12 and 13 hours a day. However, if they sleep more than that time each day, there are some reasons why they sleep so much.

Below we provide some of the reasons why they sleep too much.

In order to conserve energy- As leopard geckos are cold-blooded animals, that means that they need to spend a lot of energy and have a lot of activities during the night as well as around dusk and dawn. This means that they need to sleep a lot to restore their energy levels.
Due to slow digestion - As leopard geckos have low metabolism rates, they require more time to digest their food. Therefore, they often sleep more than they should as the extra sleep allows them to spend all their energy on digestion.
Normal Behaviour- A leopard gecko may sometimes sleep too much during the day because of its normal behavior. They need to regulate their physiological processes in order to survive, so you should not be concerned if your leopard gecko sleeps excessively during the day.
When the habitat is too cold- A leopard gecko is a nomenclature reptile, which means that they are unable to generate its own heat. They are dependent on the temperature of their habitat to obtain warmth. If the temperature of their habitat is too cold, their body temperature falls, making them too lazy and then they sleep too much.
During the period of brumation- Leopard geckos enter a period of brumation when they stop being active for a few days and spend a lot more time in hiding for a few days. During this period they become lazy and sleep a lot more than usual.
When they suffer from diseases- When Leopard geckos suffer from health diseases, their immune systems become too weak, and they become lethargic and sleep too much due to diseases such as Mouth Rot, Impaction, Respiratory infection metabolism, parasites, etc.

Other factors that may cause Leopard geckos to sleep excessively are overfeeding, improper diet, stressful environments, etc.

What should I do if my Leopard geckos sleep too much?

If your leopard gecko sleeps too much, it may suffer from some problems; therefore, to avoid their sleeping problems, you should follow the following two tips.

Make sure their habitat is warm

In order to ensure that your Leopard gecko does not sleep too much, you should make sure that its habitat is sufficiently warm for them to be comfortable. The ideal temperature for their habitat should be around 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be able to provide them with enough warmth.

To ensure a warm environment for your leopard gecko at night, you should provide a heat lamp for them in their habitat. Check How to Setup Heat Lamp for Leopard Gecko for detailed information.

Check them and consult a veterinarian if they have a disease

If your leopard gecko sleeps too much, it might have health issues. Therefore, if you want to make sure that they are not sleeping too much, you should search for symptoms of diseases. If symptoms are found, you should contact a vet as soon as possible.

Check How to tell if your Leopard Gecko has health Problems article for more information.

Why do my Leopard geckos sleep so little?

There are times when leopard geckos sleep for less than 12 hours. This causes pet owners to worry because they can't find the reason for their pets sleeping so little. Here we provide some reasons for leopard geckos sleeping too little so you don't have to worry.

Below are some factors that affect leopard gecko sleeping patterns.

When they don't get a balanced diet- If Leopard geckos are not fed correctly or if their diet is not nutritious, they will be unable to sleep comfortably and they may experience difficulty sleeping. Leopard geckos can suffer problems while sleeping or sleepless problems when they are fed at the wrong time, such as during the day, or when you don't have a feed schedule for Leopard geckos.
Improper lighting in their habitat- During the times when leopard geckos are sleeping, they need a dark room because if their habitat has light in it while they are sleeping then they will have trouble sleeping. When the leopard geckos tank is placed in front of the sun's rays, leopard geckos may have difficulty sleeping during the day.
When Leopard geckos become stressed- When there is too much stress on the Leopard geckos, they often do not sleep enough. Leopard Geckos can suffer stress when their habitat is not suitable. This is because their tank is in a noisy environment, or even when they are bullied by another gecko in an inappropriate environment.
Whenever Leopard geckos get sick- When Leopard geckos become sick, they have trouble sleeping and do not sleep well. There are some diseases affecting leopard geckos, such as MBD, mouth rot, parasites, and so forth, that make it difficult for them to sleep.

What can I do to help my leopard geckos sleep better?

In the following section, we will provide you with some tips to help leopard geckos sleep better.

In order to keep your leopard gecko healthy, you should feed it a nutritious diet and make a schedule for its feeding times.
In order to keep leopard geckos happy, you should avoid stress.
In order to promote better sleep for leopard geckos, you should keep them out of noisy environments and avoid placing them in direct sunlight.
You should install dimmer lights in a leopard gecko habitat if you want them to sleep well.
In order to avoid stressing Leopard geckos, avoid excessive handling.
In order for your leopard gecko to sleep well, you should place 2 or more hides in its habitat.