Just like any other animal, turtles do need to rest. In fact, they need more rest than most animals. So, if your turtle has been spending more time underwater than usual, you might be confused if it’s sick or asleep. Well, this is a common question new turtle owners ask. This article will discuss everything sleep about turtles, including how they sleep and whether they sleep underwater. Keep reading.

Do Turtles Sleep?

Absolutely! turtles do sleep on a regular basis. Like humans, they sleep for a couple of hours a day, but they do not achieve deep sleep like us. Instead, their sleep is similar to a resting period, just like our lighter stages of sleep.

Their exact sleep requirements are determined by activity level, age, and species of your turtle. They pick a secluded spot with acceptable temperature, assume a particular posture by withdrawing into the shell for protection.

Can Turtles Sleep Underwater?

It’s a question many people ask, and yes, turtles love to sleep underwater. It’s actually one of the safest places for them to rest since it’s out of sight from predators. Turtles can stay underwater for at least 4 hours and up to 7 hours to rest. Well, they bob their heads above the water for a few seconds to breathe and then resume beneath the surface to continue sleeping.

Turtles that sleep underwater include red eared sliders, map turtles, wood turtles, painted turtles, and pond turtles. Land turtles, also known as tortoises, are unable to sleep underwaters such as Box turtles, Harmann Tortoise, Russian tortoises, Greek tortoises, and Indian Star tortoises.

How Do Turtles Breathe Underwater?

You might be wondering how aquatic turtles survive underwater for more extended periods. While they breathe like human beings, they do not need as much air due to their low metabolism rate. When they sleep, their metabolism almost stops because their bodies go to a state of rest. They remain in this state without losing energy and oxygen.

There’s also another way turtles breathe in the water, a process known as cloacal respiration. This is the process by which turtles can breathe using small pockets in their butts. The pockets take water in and out, which helps them get more oxygen to stay longer underwater.

How Do Turtles Sleep?

As said earlier, a turtle’s sleep is similar to a resting state in humans. Normally, they will retract in their shells during sleep to hide from potential predators. Additionally, some will sleep on land while others prefer to sleep underwater. Regardless of where they sleep, they do not sleep at any place.

Instead, they look for a secluded spot where temperatures are favorable and secluded for extra protection from predators. Turtles that sleep underwater also look for a safe spot and remain submerged till they are done napping. While sleeping, turtles do not move and will withdraw into their shell to take the rest. Their bodies are unique because they can remain asleep for more extended periods without drowning.

Turtles in the wild, however, do not retract because the shells are too soft. Fortunately, they are aware of the danger the predators pose, so they find a suitable secluded place with adequate temperature to sleep. Wild turtles prefer taking naps near piles of rocks for predators to disguise them for stones. If stones are unavailable, they can find holes or places with dense vegetation where they can feel secure while asleep.

Freshwater turtles can sleep by burying themselves in the sand or mud at the bottom. This not only keeps them safe but also allows them to breathe. Semi-aquatic turtles such as map turtles are known to dig a hole in marshy areas to sleep. In deep water, sea turtles sleep under structures such as the bottom of wedged rocks near shores.

In captivity, there’s rarely any danger of predation, so turtles take naps anywhere. Pet aquatic turtles can sleep at the surface or in their basking spot. Some may sleep in their enclosure by digging partial holes in the sand.

Do Turtles Sleep At Night?

Yes, most turtles are diurnal animals, and as such, sleep at night. Wild turtles sleep for about 5 – 6 hours a night before waking up. Many turtles prefer to wake up while it’s still at night to go and search for food.

Also, female sea turtles stay awake at night during egg-laying season. Female turtles can compensate by sleeping during the day. Rarely do wild turtles sleep during the day because of their need for UV light from the sun? Even diurnal turtles take naps during the day while they bask.

However, a few turtle species, such as snapping turtles and stinkpots, are nocturnal. So, they sleep during the day and stay active at night.

How Often Do Turtles Sleep?

Turtles prefer to sleep at night, but the sleeping time might be different depending on the conditions inside the tank. The warmer the tank, the more active they are. You might choose to have other parts in the tank with different temperature levels to give them the freedom to choose the ideal temperature.

Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that most turtle species sleep at least 5 hours a day.

Do Turtles Sleep Inside Their Shells?

Surprisingly, not all turtles can retract to their shells, such as the sea turtles that have soft shells. For these, it will do them no favor to sleep inside their shells.

Other than these, most turtles retract to their shells when asleep to avoid predators’ attacks. Even if there are no predators, most turtles sleep inside their shells. So, when you see your turtle sleeping inside its shell, you should not worry – it’s perfectly normal.

How Long Do Turtles Sleep?

How long a turtle sleeps is determined by species. The turtle’s sleep duration is also dependent on their age and the conditions in their habitat, like climate and temperature. Aquatic turtles need to sleep at least 7 hours a day.

Similar to baby humans, baby turtles tend to sleep longer than adult turtles. Also, larger land turtles will usually sleep more compared to smaller ones.

Apart from sleeping time, turtles can rest for several hours every day, the reason your pet might be spending more time in their comfortable spot. Wild turtles can hibernate for months when temperatures drop. The period of hibernation allows them to preserve their energy and stay safe from harsh climatic conditions. Although pet turtles have favorable conditions due to artificial UV light, they still spend more time resting during cold weather.

Can Sleeping Turtles Drown?

Most people are worried that their turtles will drown while submerged. The truth is that turtles can sleep underwater for minutes to hours without needing to breathe. When they run out of air, they will automatically head to the surface.

The leading cause of drowning in turtles is getting trapped underwater by obstacles. It’s therefore essential to remove any possible barriers in the turtle’s pond.

Also, baby turtles are not experienced swimmers, so you should ensure their water level is not too high. The water level should be low enough to allow them to resurface without leaving the bottom. Experts recommend a water level of about 3 inches the height of the baby turtle.

Why Does My Turtle Sleep So Much?

Turtles are not active and will generally rest when they aren’t asleep. However, too much inactivity is a bad thing. There are three main reasons why turtles might sleep too much – age, species, and temperature.

As a turtle grows, the less active they become. A baby turtle should not be sleeping all the time. Also, certain species tend to be more active than others.

Another common reason why your turtle is oversleeping is due to the low temperature in the aquarium. When the water becomes too cold, your turtle becomes more lethargic and sleeps more than usual.

Additionally, turtles in the wild sleep more when the winter approaches due to reduced temperatures. That, combined with their cold-blooded nature, slows down their metabolism. Similarly, a pet turtle oversleeps when winter is about to come to signal. They will start brumating in no time.

If the water temperature is too low, you need to get a water heater and use a thermostat to regulate the temperature. The right temperature needs to be between 70 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit for adults and 75 to 80 degrees for baby turtles. Keeping their tank too cold affects how they process calcium and could result in Metabolic Bone Disease.

Other species like box turtles are not aquatic. For them, you will be looking at the temperature in their tank or habitat more than the water temperature. Many box turtle species can handle a wide range of temperatures, usually 70 – 90 degrees. As for Asian box turtles, 80 – 90 degrees works just fine. North American box turtles like the temperatures lower between 70 – 80 degrees.

Basically, you want to adjust the water temperature for aquatic species or habitat temperature of terrestrial species. If the temperature is fine, you can check other factors, including:

• Check whether the UV light is working properly and whether the basking area is hot enough. UV lights can decrease in performance over time, so check to see whether it has changed.
• Check the habitat of the tank to see if you’ve added any new food you might have added to the turtle’s diet and remove it to see if the condition improves. Remember to provide your turtle with the proper nutrition that includes protein pellets and lots of leafy greens.
• If you have added a new substrate, check if they might have eaten some and could be causing a blockage.
• Turtles also tend to sleep more when they feed during the day

Even with all the conditions right, expect your turtle to have less appetite and become less active during winter. However, if all these things check out, you might as well take the last course of action and call the vet. It might be an illness, and your turtle may need antibiotics.

Do Pet Turtles Hibernate?

The brumation (hibernation) of turtles is determined by the environment they live in. During winter, turtles don’t easily get food. Besides, because of low temperatures in turtles’ habitats, they cannot actively hunt/search for food. That said, turtles have to hibernate during the cold months to spare their energy.

Both terrestrial and aquatic turtles brumate during winter, but not all turtles hibernate. In addition, turtles widespread to temperate zones around the globe; for instance, North America hibernates. Pet turtles may as well brumate if temperatures are low enough.

Pet turtles needn’t conserve energy since they don’t actively hunt as food is provided by their keepers. Also, pet turtles don’t have to prepare for winter since their keepers regulate the temperature.

There are advantages to brumating your turtle, but there are risks involved. If conditions are not monitored correctly, your turtle may be at a higher risk of dying.

In case you don’t want your pet turtle to brumate, keep the temperatures high. A temperature ranging from 70 to 80⁰F is conducive. In winter, you may require a heater to attain the preferred water temperatures. You need to bring your outdoor pet turtles inside during cold months to keep them warm.

Hibernation increases your turtles’ breeding success and is the most crucial part during cold seasons, usually occurring from November to February.

Unless you plan to breed your pet turtles, you don’t have to force them to brumation. When done wrongly, hibernation can lead to freezing, starvation, and drowning of the turtle.

If you plan to brumate your pet turtle, there are some steps to guide you through.

• Make sure your turtles’ species hibernate. Turtles from tropical freshwater don’t hibernate.
• Learn how your pet turtle species brumate and the time they can survive hibernation. Some turtles may brumate for 2 months, some up to 6 months. Box turtles can survive hibernation from November to April. Also, they need to be kept in an enclosed and dark space.
• Determine the needs for your turtles’ hibernation
• Visit your herp vet to help you determine if your pet is healthy enough to survive the hibernation.
• If you are hibernating your pet in a fridge, be advised to use a separate fridge for your turtle. This ensures you observe the required hygiene.
• Put your pet in an appropriate plastic box with holes punched on it to allow oxygen circulation. You need to check your pet daily without disturbing it. Also, weigh your pet weekly.
• If you are hibernating your turtle for the first time, you are recommended to him/her for three weeks, irrespective of age.
• For aquatic turtles, check if the oxygen level in the pool is enough. You can improve the oxygen levels in the pond they hibernate in by using waterfalls, fountains, and filters. Though most tanks will have an oxygen system to aid in pumping breathable air into the water, you must check if the system works. You also need to change the water in the pool repeatedly.
• Instead of setting the temperature right away to lower degrees, ensure you slowly drop your turtles’ enclosure temperature.
• It would be best if you fasted your pet turtle in the month before hibernation to get rid of any undigested food. This keeps your turtle away from bacterial infection. Also, it would help if you kept your pet properly hydrated.
• Monitor the health of your pet turtle. If you notice any signs of restlessness, health issue, or stress, look at the surroundings and ensure it is clean. Visit your vet in case the symptom persists.
• Check on your pet frequently.
• Weigh the turtle
• Once the turtle finishes the brumation, provide warmth to get your pet accustomed to being awake. A lukewarm bath will help your turtle come out from hibernation.

You don’t need to force your pet turtle to hibernate, but you can trigger the brumation by providing temperatures below 50 ⁰F. A cool environment of 45 ⁰F is ideal for your turtle hibernation, whether in a fridge or a pond. Ensure the temperatures are not too low to avoid freezing your pet turtle.

Where Does a Turtle Sleep?

Turtles may look well protected inside their shells, but this does not mean they can sleep in any place. Depending on the habitat, species, and size of the turtle, a turtle can sleep in various places. Some of the most common sleeping places for a turtle include;

Soil and Leaf Litter

Box turtles are one turtle species that find leaf litter a comfy place to nap and snooze. In many observations and studies, the box turtles are known to bury themselves in the leaf litter when they aren’t active. In most cases, they will bury deep enough, so the top of the shell is flush with the ground.

Studies by Vincent J. Burke and his team showed that mud turtles were seen leaving the water and digging chambers underground to deposit their eggs. After laying, they remained underground for a few days before getting out of the holes and going back to the water.

Further analysis showed that they dug the burrows during a rainstorm and stayed inside the holes until the next rainstorm, probably to wait as the ground softened to facilitate easier entry and exit.

Burrows and Tree Stumps

In a study by Richard Dolbeer, he found that box turtles preferred to sleep deep burrows and holes during the coldest days of winter. Most box turtles chose to burrow inside decaying tree stumps, but some species dug their own burrows. The Gopher tortoises are known to dig elaborate tunnels that contain other ecosystem species, including the endangered indigo snake.

Dense Vegetation

When a burrow or hole is not an option, a turtle will crawl inside plantations into dense vegetation for the night. The eastern box turtle prefers to use blackberry tangles as its cozy resting spot. This provides the turtle with two benefits: the blackberry is a nutritious diet, and the sharp thorns discourage predators.

Mud

It’s common for most aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles to burrow in the mud to sleep or hibernate. Many turtle species such as the sliders and snapping turtles can absorb oxygen directly through the mud from water.

In fact, some terrestrial species such as African mud turtles will bury in the mud to aestivate when their temporary pools run dry. These turtles can sleep for months as they wait for the next rainy season.

Underwater Structures

It’s also common for turtles to fit inside tight crevices in tree stumps or rock piles to sleep for the night. Besides, turtles could use rock pilings, rip rap, dams, and other artificial structures for napping.

Giant turtles like alligator snapping turtles are too big for predators, so they may not feel the need for protective structures. These will just sleep at the bottom of the pond.

Basking Platforms

Some, like aquatic pet turtles, will sleep on their preferred basking spots. In the wild, they must feel safe to do so, such as in spots where they are surrounded by deep water. However, while basking within a few feet of the shore, pet turtles will likely sleep with an eye open to drive them to safety in case of danger.

Conclusion – Do Turtles Sleep?

Turtles love to sleep. In fact, proper sleep is vital for a turtle’s health and mood. It will help the turtle stay refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s common for land turtles to sleep during the day, but this will depend on age, diet, and tank temperature. Aquatic turtles sleep underwater, although some might come out of the water and sleep on dry land.

Keep in mind that turtles can breathe underwater, so it’s perfectly normal to nap at the bottom of the aquarium. Still, they can frequently wake up and pick a breath on top.

Irrespective of where your turtle sleeps, expect it to rest for about 3 – 4 – 7 hours each night, but they might also sleep in the day if they are hibernating. If your turtle is sleeping too much or often, it’s usually the water or habitat that’s too cold. Ensure to keep the temperature above 75⁰F as anything too cold can force the turtle to enter brumation mode.

We hope this guide has given you an idea of what to expect about a sleeping turtle. If you are interested in turtles and would like to learn more about the various types of turtles, their eating habits, their habitats, and more, feel free to check other articles in this blog.

If you have any questions about sleep and turtles, feel free to leave a comment below.