In many ways, parakeets are like their human counterparts. They can feel emotions, they get bored, experience stress, and even sleep like us. I mean, just the sleep cycle. So, what about naps?
So,do parakeets need sleep during the day?
Parakeets are diurnal creatures, which means they sleep at night and remain active during the day. It’s not uncommon at all for them to nap on and off for an hour or two during the daytime. It’s just part of their daily routine, while some may compensate for the lack of sleep during the night.
Sometimes, he’s just tired and wants to unwind.
So, do parakeets need sleep during the day? Not really. But there’s no harm in it either.
So, How Much Sleep Do Parakeets Need Ideally?
The general consensus is that parakeets need about 8-12 hours of sleep per day as diurnal creatures.
Like most parrots, parakeets are tropical birds. Thus, they live near the equator, where there are around 12 hours of darkness every day.
So, in the wild, parakeets will sleep from sunset till sunrise. And your domesticated parakeet will more or less have the same sleep routine.
However, if you usually come back from work in the evening, and your parakeet’s asleep by sunset, that’s no fun, right? That won’t leave any time for you two to connect and interact.
So, the catch is you can let your pet parakeet stay awake for some time past his bedtime. But you also need to let him sleep later in the morning.
Why do Parakeets Sleep During the Day?
They are Light Sleepers
A parakeet’s sleep cycle is similar to ours, but they are also uni-hemispheric slow-wave sleepers. It means that only one half of the body goes to sleep, while the other half is aware throughout the night.
As such, your parakeet will wake up at night to even the slightest noise. And this will happen several times throughout the night if there isn’t complete silence or adequate darkness.
Thus, your parakeet may not be getting enough sleep at night and are napping during the day to cover up for that.
They are Bored
Whether or not do parakeets need sleep during the day also boils down to their boredom level. Parakeets are intelligent birds that frequently need interaction or at least mental stimulation.
If parakeets are perched on the cage all day without anyone to interact with or any toy to play with, they’ll get bored quickly. As a result, they may resort to sleeping during the day to pass the time.
So, take time out to interact and bond with your parakeet every day. Also, place some safe toys in the cage to keep him occupied.
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They are Tired
If your parakeet is sleeping more lately in the daytime, there’s a good chance that he’s feeling lethargic. Now the lethargy could be due to many reasons.
Is he flying around the house too much? Are there toys that demand a lot of physical or mental stimulation? Is his diet nutritious and balanced enough? Or is he suffering from any illness?
These are the most common questions to ask yourself if you have an always sleepy or lethargic parakeet.
Disturbance in Environment
Do parakeets need sleep during the day? Definitely yes, if their nighttime environment is noisy or bright. Even if you use birdcage covers or blinds, if there’s constant chattering going on in the next room, your parakeet will have a hard time falling asleep.
Their hearing ability is superior to ours and will pick up even the slightest noise. Make sure there are no visual or audible distractions going around near your parakeet at night.
There’s an Underlying Condition
The only worrying concern if your parakeet is sleeping a lot during the day is that he may have an underlying medical condition. If your bird is ill, that can considerably mess up his sleep cycle.
If he’s sleeping on two feet with the feathers fluffed up, it may denote that he’s unwell. Sometimes, ill parakeets will also crouch to the bottom of the cage and sleep.
If you notice your parakeet has unusual sleeping posture and pattern, it’s time to immediately ring up the vet.
The answer to do parakeets need sleep during the day is ‘not really’ as they’re diurnal creatures that sleep 8-12 hours of sleep every night.
But just like us, they may take little naps during the day to rest and recharge. It’s completely normal and nothing to worry about.
However, if you notice your parakeet is consistently sleeping throughout the day or has unusual sleeping postures, that’s a red flag. He may be experiencing a physical or psychological illness. If you doubt anything like that, contact the vet as soon as possible.