Uk based question about bed buddies...

[SammyJayne]

Hi guys,

So my little boy Elliott is now almost 18 weeks old. He's 13 inches long head to tip of tail and weigh 124g! I've seen so many posts about letting beardies sleep in bed with you and I really would like to try this. The thing is I live in England (Yuck!) and our temperatures especially in the winters can get really cold. My questions are...
- Is there anyone else UK based that lets their beardie sleep in bed with them?
- Are UK temps too cold to let my baby boy sleep in the bed with me?
- If it is ok for him to sleep in the bed with me is it worth me doing a hot water bottle for him or anything like that?
Elliott has already now reached a point where he will no longer go to bed in his viv straight away like he used to at bedtime but has instead taken to cuddling up with me (I put his blanket over him once he's settled) and falling asleep on me, from there once I know he's definitely settled for the night I put him in his bed in his viv.


SJ & Elliott

 

[vampy]

It really depends how cold it gets in your house. I'm in the UK and my bf's beardies sleep in his bed just fine. It certainly wouldn't be an issue at this time of year unless your house is really badly insulated, mine is warm enough for beardies in my bed (though I can't do that, my bed is for cats!) and I've not needed to put the heating on yet. When it gets really cold (apparently it's gonna get to -18 this winter!) you'll need to make sure your heating keeps the place at a reasonable temperature, but he should be just fine.

Just try it out...if it takes him way longer than normal to warm up after you put him in to bask in the morning, then he might be getting a little cold, but I reckon he'll be ok with it for at least another couple of months. My biggest concern at that age would be that you'd roll over and squish him, but if you're sure you're a light enough sleeper, then that's fine...my bf is a pretty heavy sleeper and he's never managed to squish a beardie in his sleep, though his are adults.

Also I wouldn't let our northern US and canadian members see that you think it's 'really cold' here in the winter, they'd laugh at you

 

[thedragonkeeper]

Well I don't live in the UK, but what I've heard is beardies are OK if the night time temp goes down to 17 degrees Celsius. It really shouldn't be a problem since room temp is 18-20. If he falls asleep on you, he'll be very warm and cozy. In Colorado it can get down to -24 with heavy snow (like last year).

 

[vampy]

Argh I'm so glad I don't live in the states! I was in chicago in the winter a few years ago and it was horrible, you'd have to cover your entire face just to walk a block, and it still really hurt to breathe cos the air was so cold.

I will be complaining a lot if the forecast -18 happens, but normally we don't get much below -5, and that's more than cold enough for me!

MINUS 24, OMG THAT MUST BE SO HORRIBLE.

 

[bunnyrut]

it depends on where in the states.

i live in the northeast, and it doesn't get THAT bad like in Chicago, but the snow storms can get pretty intense. i grew up in the country and have literally been snowed in. as a kid you don't really think about how bad things like that can be. we had a wood burning stove to keep us warm when the power got knocked out, and water was always available in the form of snow.

i like snow, i would just like to live someplace where i don't have to dig out my car every week... (really hoping that the hubby's future job allows for that kind of a move).

i've taken short naps with Mr Dargon, but i toss and turn at night so i would be afraid of hurting him.

 

[vampy]

Yeah, see, over here, we get 6 inches of snow and everyone OMG!PANICS and things grind to a halt and act like it's the end of the world. I can't even imagine living somewhere where I had to dig the car out! And I live on the edge of the countryside, so when it's snowy as it is I have to avoid the back roads cos they don't grit them, if we got deeper snow I'd have a hard time even getting from my street to the main road.

Plus it's annoying enough trying to make sure my chickens' water doesn't freeze...I can't imagine having to dig myself a path to be able to get to their run every day!

 

[JenFid]

I actually took Scully to bed with me for the first time a few nights ago (don't tell hubby!). This was after I've already had her sleep with me in a sleeping bag while camping but a bed is different. I'm a side sleeper so I just tuck her by my midsection on the edge of the bed where I know I won't accidentally roll over her. It worked pretty well, she was nice and toasty with me all night!

 

[Brieana]

You guys are brave!! I would be so scared to let my beardie sleep with me. I toss and turn A LOT. Though I suppose if you sleep with no shirt, you'd wake up instantly if you rolled onto something small and prickly. :lol:

 

[SammyJayne]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. Elliott spent last night in bed with me. He has his own little mattress with blanket that he normally sleeps in in his viv so I put that on the side of the bed that I don't sleep on and he was perfect. Slept all the way through the night, was still there when I woke up and everything. I'd really like to continue letting him sleep in the bed but I am concerned about the temperatures here. I'm a poor judge at temperatures because I have raynauds so I'm almost always cold unless I'm in Texas during the summer months LOL Elliott did feel cold this morning and when he was back in his viv went right to his normal basking spot and flattened himself out to absorb the heat. I think maybe I should wait until after winter to let my boy sleep in the bed with me. It was low 30s(f) last night and I was freezing and I imagine he couldn't have been all that warm either despite me putting an extra fleece over him before I also went to bed. I have to keep my window open just a crack to let airflow in because 1) if I don't I get awful headaches 2) I have a house rabbit who lives in my bedroom (don't worry she sleeps in her cage so she won't jump on Elliott) so I have to let air in for her and to stop my room from stinking.