I think part of what you may be reading about... hedgies needing time to wake up... has to do with pooping & peeing. It seems to be a good idea to make sure they're awake, wait and let them do their business, then pick them up or else get pooped on.
Mine... not so much. Satin needed to run or be held to go potty... no use leaving her in her house to poop on her own. And Tex has only gone on or near his wheel. So I haven't used the "wake-up time" to help with the pottying business for either.
You'll know what works best for you and your little one. If you're getting pooped on, you might want to try the "hi little one" slow wake-up time idea. To help with the being huffed at, you could give a little warning that you're about to pick her up - talk to her, sing, etc... Even so, my Satin used to give me the lightest huff each morning and evening... as if to let me know that she knew I was there and where I could find her under her blanket.