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My Hank is practically a hatchling and has a UVB bulb the way she's supposed to, and my schedule has been turning her daytime bulb off at 9 and turning the nighttime bulb on. Tonight I'm working a late shift and I'll only be home around 11:20 at the earliest, meaning Hank doesn't get her light changed in time. Last time I worked late and came home to turn the daytime bulb off late, she seemed grumpy with me for a day and a half, although she's so young and I've had her for so little time that sometimes I can't tell if she's grumpy or just sleepy, depending on the situation. I wondered whether it would be better to leave the light off for one day, in order not to mess with her sleeping and so that she doesn't hate me, as long as she gets the light back on the following day.

In addition to this, I have a question regarding her sleep: if she seems to be awake and active earlier, should I be turning the daytime bulb on earlier? Especially if the giant turtle lamp in the sky is turned on around the same time she wakes?

Thank you for all of your help. Even if it doesn't come in time for today, I could use it later too.

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I turn all lights on when I wake up and turn them all off when the sun goes down

Why does she have a nighttime bulb?

My turt kinda follows my schedule(which unfortunatly isn't always consistant). I usually go to sleep at 9pm-10pm-ish and wake up around 8-9 so she usually gets a good 11-13hrs with and with out her bulb on respectively. I don't think your supposed to have a light on at night, cause it might keep them up and interrupt their internal sleep cycle.(but im not a doctor )

If your concerned about your turt's light cycle, you can get a lamp/light with a timer, and set it to a day/night cycle. That way you won't have to worry about turning it on and off and how much she/he needs or not, because i'm pretty sure she follows the same day/night cycle we do. I think having a "night-time bulb" isn't really needed, as it seems to be the equivalent of sleeping with the light on for us(unless you mean its a soft light? because I heard some light induces sleep in humans ).