NEW HAMSTER strange behaviour, help needed!!

[PippaAndScabbers]

Hello!
My name is Pippa and 1 week okay we bought our first hamster.
We went for a Syrian, after doing a fair bit of research.
We've had her for six days now, and we've done pretty well with regards to leaving her be and letting her settle herself in.
The only issue is, for the last three days she has been doing something that I believe to be strange and I'm just looking for a bit of advice as to if this is normal or not?
She has a separate attick bedroom that she can access via a tube, there is the appropriate bedding in there and she seemed to like it immediately. The last three days though, she has been blocking herself in with the wood chipping a and bedding! To the extent that it is steamimg up in her bedroom and she appears not to be able to get out and seems to be panicking!!
I have been gently removing the bedding from the tube, and she's been coming down, getting a drink and collecting her food, but then always returns to her bedroom and blocks the tube up again!
Is this normal? Is it dangerous if she can't get out?
Am I best to just remove the attick bedroom all together? There is an alternative bedroom already within the cage.
I'm so worried about it but I'm reluctant to get rid of the attick bedroom as she's obviously happy in there and feels safe.

Any help/advice/reassurance would be greatly welcomed!
Thank you
Pippa

[CMB]

They will often block tubes, especially when they are settling in or with cold. Removing the attic bedroom would be best.

A open bottomed box/house would be better for your hamster to make a nest in.

[SimonandSyril]

This is normal.
Don't be worried of them not being able to get out because they can just burrow their way out very easily.I'm sure your hamster wouldn't be doing this if it was giving a problem.

[cypher]

Welcome to HC & congrats on your new ham
This is a very common problem & the tubes or plastic houses can get very unhealthy very quickly so it is always best to remove them, she won't like it to begin with but will soon adjust & the sooner you can do it the better.
Make sure she has plenty of deep substrate & a nice large house with no base on the substrate with lots of shredded plain white tissue to make a nest.
If you don't have a good hamster house to use just use a cardboard box (without the base & a door cut into one side).