How Do Crested Geckos Sleep? 3 Important Places

One of the most popular lizards that come in different morphs and colours is crested geckos. They are not popular just because of their cute tiny looks and because they are not suitable for anyone as a beginner pet.



Crested geckos are sometimes also popularly known as eyelash geckos. I am pretty sure that many have wondered, myself included, how do crested geckos sleep without eyelids. 

Depending on your lifestyle, a crested gecko may suit or not, making it essential to consider factors while choosing a pet. You might have noticed some crested geckos without eyelashes, which raises an interesting question: how do they sleep with their eyes open. 

In this guide, I will tell you all the details about crested gecko sleeping habits and behaviour. We will learn how you can know when your gecko is sleeping. We will also discuss how sleep patterns work without closing is eyelids. We’ll also look at how often crested geckos should sleep.

 

It might seem a strange question initially, but believe me, it has been debated on lots of forums and sites for quite a few years. To know if they have eyelids or not and how they sleep, I did deep research to find out.

This article has been based on hours and hours of research done on their sleeping pattern. Let’s first understand how do crested geckos sleep?

How Do Crested Geckos Sleep?

Being nocturnal reptiles, the crested geckos usually hide under the leaves and bark of the tree to sleep there. In the wild, Nature protects them from the Predator itself. In captivity, without any fear of Predator, your gecko can sleep anywhere. 

It is essential to give them a good hiding place in their tank as they usually like to sleep while hiding. You can also use artificial branches or foliage to get a natural environment with a natural-looking hiding place in the tank. 

I would recommend you to get a starter kit online for crested geckos. Crested geckos can also sleep in an open Habitat if they feel comfortable and safe. They can also rest around you if they trust you.

Some crested geckos tend to have no eyelids, which makes it a little hard for us to imagine sleeping with eyes open. 

Crested geckos tend to live and sleep without their eyelids. It might seem strange at first, but it is in Nature to sleep without closing their eyes. 

When they feel like sleeping, they usually contract their eyes. It keeps the maximum light outside, not allowing them to enter their eyes. This is how they get some rest and sleep with ease. It is also recommended to use live plants in their enclosure that are not toxic to their stomach if ingested. 

If you find your activity empty during the daytime, it means your gecko is hiding inside its enclosure and sleeping around. Most of the time, crested geckos sleep in the day. 

In the daytime, a crested gecko will be inactive, and due to their small body, it can be challenging to spot them in a large terrarium somewhere. They are naturally good at hiding. Let’s learn, do crested geckos sleep with their eyes open? 

Do Crested Geckos Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

Yes. Crested geckos sleep with their eyes open for at least 12 hours a day. They usually like hiding under tree leaves or bark when sleeping. They will construct their pupils as much as possible to rest and sleep. The Other species of geckos that have eyelids usually shut them to sleep. 

Crested geckos without eyelids/eyelashes can be difficult to spot when they are sleeping. To pick their sleeping time, you will need to know the signs which show that a crested gecko is sleeping. Let’s learn how to know when a crested gecko is sleeping.

How Do You Know When A Crested Gecko Is Sleeping?

Sunken eyes and constricted pupils indicate your crested gecko being in sleep. When they are sleeping, you should avoid disturbing them because it can disturb their sleep patterns. 

We all know that shut eyes indicate our pet needs rest, but it might not be the case in crested geckos. When crested geckos feel asleep, their pupils contract to a minimum. During the day, it is recommended to keep the room dark as it will help them get proper sleep. 

If you notice their eyes slightly sunken into their skull compared to when they were awake and active, it indicates they will sleep. Most of the time, crested geckos with sunken eyes look like they are frowning at you. 

The crest you might have noticed on your geckos tends to be standing up when active and laying a lot flatly to the body when resting. This is one of the most accessible indications that help know if a crested gecko is asleep.

How Do Crested Geckos Sleep Without Eyelids?

Crested Gecko uses pupil contraction to sleep with eyelids. When pupils are contracted, the light is unable to enter its eye. These tiny reptile pupils tend to have small openings when they are sleeping and wide open when active and awake. 

As told earlier, When sleeping, crested geckos will be inactive. The crust and the eyes of a crested gecko will help you know if it is sleeping or not.

 

As they are lonely reptiles by Nature, they will love living alone. You might notice them sleeping around with a bunch of other same-size geckos if kept in a small group (with lots of hiding).

It is essential to provide hiding places if you consider keeping two or more geckos in the same tank. Make sure to keep the room dark in the daytime since, in Nature, they use darker places as safety cover from their Predator. 

Make sure to provide them with a good diet. Here are a few good resources on their diet. 

• What Insects Can Crested Geckos Eat?
• What Vegetables Can Crested Geckos Eat?
• What Fruits Can Crested Geckos Eat?
  
  

Believe it or not but some beginner geckos owners find themselves surprised when they see crested geckos sleeping with their eyes open.

How Long Do Crested Geckos Sleep?

Crested geckos tend to sleep for nearly 10-12 hours during the daytime. They are primarily active at night, dawn, and early morning. The duration of how long they sleep will vary from geckos to geckos depending upon their varied activities & habits. 

Each crested gecko individual can be unique in its term. In captivity, crested geckos tend to sleep around 12 hours a day. You will mostly find them waking up after dusk. 

Like any other animal, not all crested geckos are the same in their activity level and habits, including sleeping patterns. Some crested geckos tend to sleep more than 12 hours, while some are less than that.

Do Crested Geckos Sleep During The Day?

Yes, being nocturnal reptiles, they usually sleep around the day and awake after dusk. Some individual crested geckos tend their break their sleep duration in shorter periods. All these shorter periods of sleep adds up to 12 hours of sleep a day.  

It is not concerning if you notice your crested gecko sleeping for 3-4 hours and then being active and again sleeping, repeating the same pattern. This kind of sleep cycle will repeat throughout the day for crested geckos. All these short periods of sleep adds up to 12 hours of sleep.

Why Your Crested Gecko Is Awake During The Day?

Being nocturnal reptiles, the crested gecko can break their sleep duration into short periods of 3-4 hours to eat, exercise, and explore the tank. Crested geckos can be awake during the day for a limited period.

If they’re awake all day, it might be concerning. Consider turning the room lights off and creating a darker environment. It will help their pupils constrict better to sleep. 

If geckos cannot sleep during the daytime, you should look for the possible reason that is causing them not to sleep. If a crested gecko is awake the entire day, something wrong with him needs to be administered. 

Being a crepuscular lizard, it can be surprising for you to see them away during the day, but it is common for them to be awake for a limited period in the daytime. It is primarily active in the early morning or after dusk throughout the night.

Do Crested Geckos Sleep All Day?

Yes, Crested Geckos sleep all day because they are nocturnal reptiles and are usually active at night. They can even divide their long 12 hours sleep duration into shorter periods. The sleep cycle of each individual will vary from gecko to gecko. This kind of sleep cycle is likely to repeat throughout the day. Let’s learn how crested geckos sleep at night.

Do Crested Geckos Sleep At Night?

Being a crepuscular and nocturnal reptile, crested geckos can be considered Twilight lizards active throughout the night. This kind of PET is suitable for those who are busy during the day and free at night. You will find your crested gecko remain active from dusk to dawn in their enclosure. .

Most people stay awake at night to watch them being active and exploring the tank. You might have noticed digging a lot in the night to make new caves using the substrate and out of rocks. Sometimes, a crested gecko can be up during the day if their project is not completed.

How Long Do Baby Crested Geckos Sleep?

Baby crested geckos will be very active but will usually sleep in the daytime. . They will sleep for shorter periods of 2-3 hours and will be active for another couple minutes. They will repeat until shorter nights of sleep add up to 12-16 hours of sleep a day. This cycle helps them grow, thrive and rest efficiently. Baby crested geckos need more time to relax and sleep so that the body produces efficiently.

How Often Do Crested Geckos Sleep?

The sleep duration and the pattern of each crested geckos vary from lizard to lizard. As with other animals, the same goes for crested geckos as well. So it can be not easy to know how often do crested geckos sleep as they like living alone.

Depending upon their varying activities and sleep patterns, you will find them sleeping every day for at least 10-12 hours. When a crested gecko is in its enclosure, you need to be very careful about their sleeping cycle because, without eyelids, they need a dark room to sleep comfortably.

 

If you don’t provide them with a comfortable environment they need to sleep around, their sleep pattern will be disturbed, and their growth will be stunted.

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