Hamsters are lovely little pets many of us can’t help but grow fond of quickly. From their small size to their numerous quirky habits, what is there not to love about these cute little creatures?
However, your hamster may start displaying sudden strange behaviors that can leave you scratching your head.
From lying down flat on their bellies all day to pooping all over their cages, hamster shenanigans never stop. However, seeing your hamster ditch his bed to sleep in his wheel can spike your anxiety levels even further. These hamsters typically nap with their bum on the wheel and paws on the sides.
Why does my hamster sleep in his wheel? Hamsters sleep in their wheel when their bed is too bright, hot, or lacks privacy. Hamsters love comfortable beds with burrowing opportunities in cages with the right temperature. Failure to provide this can force these little rodents to seek alternative sleeping arrangements.
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Why Does My Hamster Sleep in His Wheel?
Hamsters spend a lot of time in bed during the daytime after staying awake all night due to their nocturnal tendencies. A comfortable sleeping spot is a must-have for these little creatures to unwind after a hard day’s work.
However, hamsters only stay in beds that provide enough comfort for restful sleep. Here are the top reasons why your hamster may ditch his bed for an exercise wheel.
Excessive Heat
Hamsters love living in cage environments that offer comfortable temperatures. These creatures enjoy the same temperature ranges as humans i.e. 65-75F. Thus, if you’re feeling too hot in summer, chances are your hamster is also feeling the heat.
Many of us provide multiple layers of bedding to ensure a cozy feel for hamsters when they sleep especially during cold weather. However, this may lead to excessive heat and discomfort during the summer.
When the heat gets to your hamster, a new sleeping area such as his exercise wheel may become more attractive.
Hamsters in the wild forage for food and engage in other activities from dusk to dawn for safety reasons. They do not respond too well to heat due to a lack of natural heat regulation capabilities and this becomes evident in domesticated hamsters.
Additional signs that your cute little pet may be sleeping in his wheel due to extreme heat include:
- Excessive thirst
- Lack of energy
- Lying flat on the stomach
- Weight loss
- Lack of appetite
Lack of Privacy
Hamsters require a bit of privacy to live happy lives especially when they’re less than a year old. Their pocket-sized nature means these amazing creatures have always been prone to attacks from predators in the wild.
They’re used to hiding underground especially during the daytime when potential predators are more active. Burrowing is second nature to hamsters even when domesticated and a lack of burrowing opportunities in their cage or tank can be frustrating.
Hamsters may fall asleep on their wheels consistently when they feel it offers them better hiding opportunities. Like most small animals, these pocket rodents can be paranoid around humans and other relatively large pets such as dogs and cats.
This is why providing hideouts and other burrowing channels in your hamster’s cage is so critical. Failure to do that can lead to weird behaviors including ditching his bed to sleep on the exercise wheel daily.
Excessive Lights
Excessive lights may be the underlying reason why your hamster continues to fall asleep in his workout wheel instead of the designated sleeping area. As previously stated, these animals are nocturnal and naturally master the art of moving around under low-light conditions.
Finding themselves in bright light can leave hamsters feeling exposed and they may respond by hiding in their wheels until they fall asleep. Whether it is daytime or nighttime, switching on the bright lights can be uncomfortable hammies.
Any form of light can be excessive especially during nighttime since these pets enjoy largely dark environments.
Exhaustion
Hamsters are known for their high level of physical activity. These animals love moving up and down their cages, burrowing, and enjoying the hideout opportunities created for them. They also love running on their wheels, which can become one of their favorite activities over a short period.
Sometimes, your hamster may fall asleep on his wheel due to exhaustion after running up and down on it for a few minutes. They may decide to rest inside the wheel and end up drifting off to sleep.
Falling asleep in the wheel may be a one-off occurrence but some hamsters could make that a habit over time.
Illness
Even routine infections and Illnesses can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of your pet hamster. Illness can affect a hamster’s energy levels considerably, leading to a dip in physical activity levels.
Your hamster may resort to sleeping in his wheel because of illness. His energy levels can dip to the extent that walking or running to his sleeping area may not be feasible.
The first step to finding out whether your hamster is sick is to check the current factors in the cage such as temperature, exposure, and darkness. If everything seems perfect, looking out for signs of illness in your hamster is the next step.
These pet rodents can be susceptible to a range of digestive and respiratory infections. Signs such as constant sneezing, wheezing, nasal or eye discharge, and breathing difficulties could be evidence that your hamster is down with a respiratory infection that may escalate to pneumonia.
Digestive infections such as wet-tail disease may also result in symptoms including diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, and a foul smell. Loss of balance and folded ears are additional signs to look out for in affected hamsters.
How to Stop Your Hamster From Falling Asleep in His Wheel
If your hamster continues to fall asleep on his wheel, getting him to stop will require some effort on your part. Here are the best ways to get your hamster to move back to his bed from his wheel.
Create a Cool Temperature in the Cage
A cool and comfortable temperature in your hamster’s cage can improve his overall health and comfort to ensure he lives a happy life. If his bed no longer feels like a burning furnace, your hamster will be happy to start sleeping there again.
Switching on the fan or air conditioner during the summer is a tried and tested solution to keep your hamster cool. As long as his cage is not directly under the fan or in the path of the cool air emanating from the air conditioner, he should be fine.
Moving your hamster’s cage to another relatively cool area of the home such as the basement or bathroom during the summer can also be a smart move. Make sure to move the cage away from the sun’s rays and provide lots of water for hydration at every point in time.
Provide Hideouts
Hamsters love their privacy and building a cage or tank environment without such provisions can be a great disservice to their happiness. Responsible hamster parents always take time to create hideouts and other burrowing opportunities for them to hide whenever they’re scared for their lives.
Consistent hiding and burrowing activities also keep hamsters physically active which improves their happiness over the long run. Also, make sure hammies are kept in individual cages for utmost comfort and privacy, especially when raising Syrian hamsters and other aggressive breeds.
Hamsters will be less likely to sleep in a wheel when their cage offers fantastic opportunities to hide and have fun.
Create a Dark Environment
Want your hamster to live and sleep peacefully in his bed? You cannot afford not to create a dark sleeping area for him. These nocturnal creatures thrive in dim-light areas due to their natural preference for moving from dusk to dawn in the wild.
Placing their cages in bright light environments can be disastrous in many ways. Hamsters often respond by ditching their beds to sleep in exercise wheels in their quest to move away from the beaming lights. This guarantees the ability to enjoy a bit of darkness.
Creating a dim cage or tank environment can improve your hamster’s sleep quality and ensure absolute comfort. This can come in handy especially during the daytime when they enjoy a sizable chunk of their sleep.
As hamster parent, your mantra should always be the darker the better when it comes to the illumination of your beloved pet’s cage environment.
Get Your Hamster to Relax
Hamsters are physically active creatures and sometimes, they can be too active for their own good. If your hamster is sleeping in his wheel due to exhaustion, it is time to help him relax. Removing the hamster wheel and other toys temporarily from the cage can be a great start.
With little opportunities to play, your hammy will be forced to take it easy on himself and get some rest. Another good option is to play relaxing music or even pet the hamster in your palm for a couple of minutes.
This bonding period can also be more relaxing and ensure that the little guy spends more time sleeping in his designated bed.
Veterinary Care
If you suspect that your hamster is sleeping in his wheel due to an illness, it is time to pay your vet a visit. Describe any signs of illness or behavioral changes to the vet during the appointment so the right tests can be conducted.
If your hunch turns out right and your hamster is diagnosed with any illness, make sure to provide the right level of care until he recovers fully. Prescribed medications should be given in the right dosages and provide a healthy diet for your hamster.
Hopefully, he should be on the mend quickly and return to old habits such as sleeping in his bed instead of the exercise wheel.
Conclusion
Catching your hamster sleeping in his wheel may be a sign of trouble but do not fly into panic mode just yet. It could be due to excessive temperatures, too many lights, or a lack of hideouts in your hamster’s cage.
Your hamster could also turn his exercise wheel into a bed due to exhaustion or even illness. Looking out for signs of illness or exhaustion can be a great idea. Also, do not hesitate to seek veterinary care as soon as possible for prompt treatment of any existing infections.
You wouldn’t want your hamster to permanently turn his exercise wheel into a bed, would you?