How Much Sleep Does My Parrot Need? Signs Of Sleep Deprivation!

Most people are eager to get a pet for their house. Having a pet gives an ecstatic feeling, where you become the parent of that pet. In this article, we have covered the topic “How much sleep does my parrot need”. It is an essential part of the responsibility related to pets. So without further delay, let’s get started. 

However, pets also come with a variety of responsibilities. Among all the responsibilities, care for the sleeping pattern of your pet is the foremost. Pets with an unhealthy sleeping routine can suffer from illness and annoyance. People need to observe and analyze their pet’s sleep requirements. 

Parrot Sleeping Habits & Safety Measures!

Parrots are very exciting pets to keep at home. They are fun to play with. However, they need attention and care regularly. Every pet has a sleeping pattern, which needs to be taken care of. A bad sleeping pattern can affect their health.

Parrots also need an adequate amount of undisturbed sleep which helps in keeping the bird happy, healthy, and excited.

Sleeping habits of parrots

The sleeping habits of parrots vary from parrot to parrot. In the wild, parrots are active during the daytime and search for food. They sleep in the evening and at night following the environment clock. For birds in captivity, the caging should mimic the same pattern to provide the best sleeping experience. 

The sleeping behavior of parrots has always been a point of interest for decades.  Active wakefulness, drowsiness, alert wakefulness, front sleep, back sleep, and unihemispheric sleep are the different sleeping behavior in parrots. Through each behavior, we can understand the parrot’s nature and what makes them comfortable for a good sleep.

Your parrots should have enough sleep to maintain a strong immunity to fight diseases and illnesses. They should sleep at least 10-12 hours of deep sleep to stay healthy. They need a dark and calm environment to sleep in, so you need to keep them in a place where lights are dim or cover them with a dark cloth to enter light into the cage. The parrots can only sleep if they feel safe and comfortable. 

Baby parrots need more sleep than adults because they are in a developing and growing stage. In this stage lot of hormonal changes happens in the body of baby parrots. These hormones help in the growth process and help to regenerate cells and tissue. Sleeping also helps brain development and improves cognition and memory in parrots. 

The sleeping position plays an important role in intense sleep in parrots. Each parrot has their unique sleeping position. Many parrots sleep with their body still upright, sleeping on one leg, 

Parrots need a warm environment to have a deep sleep, so they adjust their position to keep their body warm during sleep. They can balance their body while sleeping so they can sleep upside down without falling.

Signs of sleep deprivation in parrots 

Lack of sleep can be the reason for many illnesses and deprivations in parrots. Physical signs of sleep deprivation in parrots are 

⚪️Feather picking

If the parrots do not get the optimal rest or their 10-12 hours of sleep are interrupted, they start to show abnormal behaviors picking their feathers. As part of their aggression, they pluck or damage their feathers.

⚪️Weight loss

Your parrot may lose weight if it does not get enough sleep. Due to lack of sleep, parrots become sick and tired and refuse to eat. As a result, their body starts losing weight.

⚪️Sluggishness

The action of the parrots becomes slow when they lack sleep. A playful bird doesn’t play much if they lack sleep and become sluggish.

⚪️Screaming

Like humans, parrots also get irritated if they do not get enough sleep. When the irritability kicks in, they scream even for a small reason. 

⚪️Aggression

Aggression is the extreme level of reaction in parrots if they are unhappy. Their grumpy attitude turns to biting and pouncing. At this time, never try to go near or handle them.

⚪️Fear

Parrots become afraid if they suffer from sleep deprivation. Their attitude may change and refuses to interact with anyone. They try to hide from people and lodge themself into a corner of the cage.

Tips for ensuring adequate sleep for your parrots

🔷Create a sleep-friendly environment

As a parrot owner, you should arrange a sleep-friendly environment for your parrots. Sleep deprivation is a dangerous condition that takes the life of your bird. So, before getting out of your hands, provide good sleep by following some tips.

• Sleep Cage

If your parrots get distracted easily, the best option is to provide a sleep cage. It is smaller than the normal cage to keep your bird away from distraction. Keep your bird in a sleep cage so that it can sleep comfortably in the cage.

• Cover the cage

Parrots feel uncomfortable and cannot sleep in light. So, cave the cage with a thick cloth to prevent entering the light.

• Cage Placement

Find a suitable place to lack the cage where they can sleep comfortably. Avoid the place where there are extremely cold or heat. 

• Noice

If the cage is near a noisy place, it cannot sleep properly because they are sensitive to noises of horns, home appliances, or other objects.

🔷Maintain a consistent sleep schedule

The sleeping schedule of a parrot should be done considering its nature, age, and habit. A parrot should follow 12 hours of sleep and 12 hours of the wake. Some parrots sleep 8-10 hours per night depending on the species. If your parrot can’t adapt sleep cycle, you have to maintain a sleep schedule for them. 

Set a correct time and arrange a sleeping environment for your parrot. Most parrots sleep during the sunset and wake up at sunrise. So, schedule a time that follows a sunset-to-sunrise sleeping schedule. Stick to a routine and put your bird to sleep at a fixed time to create a habit.

🔷Provide mental and physical stimulation during waking hours

Parrots are active and interactive birds in the avian family. They need physical and mental stimulation to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. Mental and physical stimulation can affect their state of mind. So, it is necessary to provide them with activities to avoid being depressed, restless, unhealthy, and sleepless. Let your bird out of the cage for some time to boost their energy level and increase physical activities. Stimulation during waking hours can provide a deep and comfortable sleep to parrots. 

🔷Seek professional help for sleep-related problems

If your parrot cannot sleep for 12 hours or sleeps more than that, it is a sleeping problem. A bad sleeping habit can indicate illness in parrots. So before the situation worsens, take them to a professional vet for treatment. They will examine the bird and suggests a solution for such a situation.

How many hours do parrots sleep during the day?

Primarily parrots don’t sleep during the daytime. They have a habit of sleeping during the night for at least 10 to 12 hours. The sleeping hours also depend on the type of species and its surroundings. 

However, parrots take small naps during the daytime. These naps are for short periods and occur due to drowsiness. They don’t sleep as heavily during the day as they do at night. Most parrots take naps after they bathe, eat, or suffer from stress. They also nap to avoid the hot sunny day.

Parrots have a habit of being alert to their predators, so they only take naps when they feel very safe and secure. Although, frequent naps of parrots are of concern. It might be due to illness and sleepless nights. Observe their sleeping pattern to understand their behavior and health.

Parrot Sleeping Positions 

Parrots have various sleeping positions. They usually don’t sleep in a particular position. They have varied ways in which they prefer to sleep. Their positions also depict few meanings about their mood and needs. 

• Standing up

This is the most common sleeping position of parrots. They simply stand on the porch or branch to sleep. Sometimes they stand on one leg and tuck their other leg inside their feathers. Standing up and sleeping is a very comfortable position for parrots. 

• Tucking head into feathers

The parrots rotate their head and tuck them inside their feathers. They do this to get warmth and to snuggle. The birds preserve their body heat and temperature. 

• Sleep upside down

Parrots also sleep upside down inside the cage. It is not a concerning position. It is their normal position. They find a higher perch to sleep whether it be a tree or a cage. So hanging upside down gets them to a higher place to sleep. Sometimes they also do this for privacy or when they don’t like the other sleeping areas. 

• Sleeping on one leg

The parrots sleep on one leg and they find this position very comfortable. It preserves their energy because they are not using both legs. One leg remains at rest tucked under its feathers keeping it warm. They change their leg positions to keep both of them warm and strong. 

• Lying down

Sometimes the parrots lie down on the floor while sleeping. This doesn’t happen frequently as parrots prefer to sleep in a standing position. When they lie down to sleep that means they are excessively tired, sick, or are not getting enough space.

• Sleeping inside the cage

Parrots have a habit of sleeping at the highest branch of the tree. When they are kept inside a cage they find the highest perch to sleep. They also have a habit of sleeping in the same area every night. By this, they try to make it their territory authoritatively. 

• Sleeping with head down

Another sleeping position of parrots is that they sleep with their head down. This position is mostly seen in the winter. They sleep in this position to keep their body warm and get comfortable. Sometimes it also does this if they are not well. This sleeping position of your pet means they feel very safe. 

Final Thoughts

Parrots are remarkably faithful pets to have in your home. People keep various types of birds as pets but among them, parrots are the most common birds preferred as pets. Parrots are very interesting and enthusiastic. They have a speaking ability that helps them in grabbing attention. They observe and learn human words quickly. Parrots imitate humans and try to speak like them. 

The sleeping routines of parrots are similar to humans. They prefer sleeping at night in complete darkness and silence. People need to understand their sleeping patterns. A proper sleeping routine will help them keep healthy and enthusiastic. They also have various sleeping portions which represent their moods and thoughts. Overall we can say that whether it is a parrot or any other pet, you should take proper care of them. 

We hope this article helped you to understand “How much sleep my parrot needs.” Now you can observe the sleeping patterns and positions of your parrot and make a routine according to that to keep your pet in a good health.

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