Birds Sleeping Habits

For birds, a solid night of sleep is essential. Lack of sleep is detrimental to their physical and mental health. Birds' bedtime habits include the amount of time they spend sleeping, how they position their bodies while sleeping, how you can help prepare their external environments for sleep, and how to set up the cage in preparation for bedtime.

  1. Length of Sleep

    • Many birds who originate from around the tropics of the equator, such as parrots, are used to photoperiods of 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness each day. Therefore, birds typically prefer at least 12 hours of sleep each night. This length of sleep varies from bird to bird, as some birds' routines will include less sleep or more, depending on what they are used to. If your bird is not getting enough sleep, he may exhibit health or behavioral problems such as feather plucking or screaming.

    Sleeping Positions

    • Birds present different body behaviors when sleeping. For example, parakeets will fluff up their feathers and sit in silence when they begin to feel sleepy. Once asleep, parakeets sometimes sit with their heads tucked into their wings. They also sleep with one foot tucked into their bodies to keep it warm. Certain sleeping positions are signs of illness, such as sleeping with two feet gripping the perch. Regular checkups will assure your bird is healthy.

    Environmental Stimuli

    • A bedtime routine is essential to maintain your bird's healthy sleeping habits. Include in your routine a decrease in environmental stimuli around the time your bird goes to bed every night. Lower television or radio volumes, put his toys away where they belong, ask your company to mingle in another room and direct your bird to go to his cage if he has been out socializing.

    Cage Routine

    • If you don't have a separate, dark sleeping room for your bird, you need to prepare the cage for bedtime. Cover three sides of his cage with a breathable cloth, as leaving one side uncovered allows for fresh air circulation and for him to peek out to check for predators if he feels threatened. Putting a cloth over his cage mimics the sun going down, signaling that it is time for bed.