Parakeets are active and vibrant birds. They love to fly around, play with their toys, and sing all day. They enjoy exploring, grooming themselves, and eating throughout the day. However, they need rest to renew their energies and relax their muscles. Thus, good sleep is essential for a happy and healthy parakeet.
On average, a parakeet sleeps for a total of ten to twelve hours a day. These hours entail sleeping at night and taking afternoon naps. Parakeets get the majority of their sleep at night. Although they can also be seen sleeping throughout the day during quieter moments or when they are not distracted.
Sleeping during the day is common and can be a result of:
1. Your bird is bored or feeling lonely.
2. The parakeet compensates for lack of sleep at night.
3. Exhaustion from exercising and flying around.
4. Your bird is sick and requires medical attention.
It’s common for your bird to rest during the day, but you should be concerned if he sleeps a lot and gets fatigued quickly, as he might be sick.
5 Factors Affecting the Quality of Sleep a Bird Gets
The quality of sleep that your bird gets can be influenced by factors such as:
1. Distractive Noises
Parakeets cannot sleep with loud noises or the TV on.
Although parakeets love singing and chirping, they prefer quiet and peaceful environments to enjoy a good night’s sleep.
If disturbed by sudden loud noises, they become aggressive, and some may start biting and chirping aloud during the night. Hence, any noise should be turned down at night.
2. Extreme Temperatures
Parakeets are comfortable at temperatures of 70-80°F below or above which they become uncomfortable.
When the temperatures are high or low, your parakeet will spend much of its sleeping time looking for cool or warm positions within the cage to perch on, which will cause your bird to be deprived of good sleep and enough rest.
3. Presence of Light
Light disrupts the parakeets’ sleeping patterns. A light blanket should be used to cover the cage at night. This helps make the cage darker and more conducive for your bird to sleep, as well as allowing fresh air to get into the cage.
4. Sleeping Equipment
Comfortable sleeping equipment should be provided for your parakeets. Ensure that your bird’s cage is furnished with wooden perches. The natural texture of the perches makes the birds feel more comfortable as they perch.
5. Cage Cleanliness
Parakeets are clean birds that love to groom themselves. If the cage is dirty and untidy, it becomes hard for them to fall asleep.
How Do You Know Whether Your Bird Is Taking a Nap?
The following are things to look out for that indicate that a parakeet is taking a nap:
1. The Legs
Most birds sleep on one leg while standing up. As they have a good sense of balance even when they sleep, your bird will balance well without falling off.
Since the bird’s legs are featherless, hiding one helps limit the amount of heat lost as it reduces the surface area of the exposed flesh.
2. The Bird’s Eyes
Most birds close their eyes when asleep, which shows that the bird is comfortable.
Others sleep with only one eye, as they keep watch for any dangers with one eye while they rest with the other eye.
However, some leave their eyes open when they are not comfortable with the change in their surroundings or feel insecure.
3. The Head
Birds also sleep with their heads tucked around their backs into their feathers. The feathers act as a source of extreme warmth, comfort, and darkness. Tacking their heads and dropping guard shows that your bird feels safe and comfortable.
What Time Should Parakeets Go to Bed?
Parakeets are supposed to go to bed at sundown when it gets dark.
But this cannot apply if you have to work late and use the lights into the night. It would be best to consider covering the bird cage to reduce distractions.
Covering the cage also helps prevent your bird from waking up too early, as parakeets can wake up at 5 a.m. or first light.
Hence, for your bird to get the required 10 hours of sleep, it should not be up past 8.40 p.m. if the sun rises at 6.30 a.m.
Parakeet Sleeping Positions
Parakeets sleep in different positions at night, depending on the environment and sleeping equipment available.
1. Standing Up
Do parakeets sleep standing up?
Yes, parakeets usually sleep while standing up on the perch with one leg.
By doing so, they conserve energy as the other leg can rest, and it also helps prevent heat loss.
2. Parakeet Sleeping on the Bottom of Cage
Most parakeets sleep while perched, both in the wild and in captivity.
Sleeping at the bottom of the cage can be a result of:
1. Extreme temperatures.
2. A small enclosure, not enough to perch.
3. When the bird is too tired and unable to perch.
4. If it has been for a long time, your bird might be ill.
Since some parakeets sleep on the bottom of the cage, you should not be alarmed if no other worrying symptoms accompany the tendency.
3. Lying on The Perch
Birds sleep in this position when they are too tired to perch and want to rest.
4. Hanging Upside Down
Parakeets can sleep while hanging on the side of the cage. This is a common position that they love to sleep in when the cage is overcrowded or their perches are dirty.
Do Parakeets Need Darkness to Sleep?
Yes, parakeets need darkness to sleep. They prefer to sleep in complete darkness, as it creates a less disruptive environment. Hence, you should not leave a light on for your parakeet, as it will interfere with the bird’s sleeping habits.
Since rest helps strengthen the birds’ immune systems, a lack of enough sleep can negatively affect your bird’s health and make it susceptible to diseases. Thus, ensure that no dim night lights are left on to enable your parakeet to sleep well.
So, do parakeets have to be covered at night?
Yes, it’s important to cover your bird’s cage at night, as it helps:
1. Prevent your parakeet from being active so early in the morning.
2. Shield your bird against the light from outside in the case of cities where you can’t find complete darkness in the surroundings.
3. It helps maintain the heat in the cage and keeps the bird warm throughout the night.
4. It blocks noise and helps reduce other distractions.
Why Do Parakeets Puff Up at Night?
As parakeets don’t use blankets to cover themselves at night, they have to use some mechanisms to keep warm.
Since the temperatures drop at night, parakeets usually puff up their feathers, thus creating air pockets. The air pockets trap warm air in them and help prevent heat loss.
Puffing up can also be a sign of some ailments, and if accompanied by any symptoms, you should have your bird checked by the veterinarian.
Are Parakeets Quiet at Night?
Parakeets don’t sleep throughout the night as they wake up occasionally. However, despite their noisy nature, they don’t sing at night and need a quiet place to sleep well.
Nevertheless, it is common to hear noises from your bird’s cage as parakeets:
1. Instinctively chirp at night to wade off predators.
2. Normally dream at night and can sometimes sleep talk.
Why Does My Parakeet Go Crazy in His Cage at Night?
In case of abrupt noise, your parakeet can get night fright for fear of predators and attempt to escape. Passing car lights in the neighborhood can also distract your bird, making it start squawking.
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