How Do Parakeets Sleep? [When, Where And How Long For?]

Parakeets are fascinating and wonderful birds; they are sweet natured, social and generally very affectionate. It comes as no surprise that they are so commonly recommended for first time bird owners. But, if you are looking to own one, you’ll likely have many questions about their care and what to expect. Sleeping is one such topic you’ll want to explore. Intrigued, I decided to research their sleeping patterns and behaviors. I’d like to share my findings with you here today.

So, how do parakeets sleep? There are many different positions a parakeet can sleep in. However, they most commonly sleep on one leg, with their eyes closed, while tucking their heads back into their feathers. They will generally do so for around 10 hour per day, and can do so in multiple locations, although perches are often preferred.

It may be weird difficult to recognize at first, but trust me, if your parakeet is still and its that time of the night, they are probably resting

Let us now take a closer look at how these colorful little birds sleep, especially when they are kept in captivity.

We’ll teach you how to recognize when they are sleeping and facilitate an environment that helps them get their best rest!

So, be sure to keep on reading to get all the information you need!

Table of Contents

How Do Parakeets Sleep In A Cage?

You have probably seen loads of different pictures of birds resting in nests or birdhouses up in the trees.

Your parakeet doesn’t need to be out on a real branch in order to get some sleep, though.

A cage is a perfect place for your bird to get some rest.

Your parakeet will probably not lie on its back and tuck itself under a blanket to let you know it’s resting.

They can handle some pretty interesting sleep positions that seem crazy to a human.

Just like humans, though, each parakeet is an individual, and they can choose to sleep in whatever manner they find most comfortable.

There is a whole multitude of ways to sleep – and none are “better” than the other.

While they are all little snowflakes, there are some key features you can look out for that would indicate that your parakeet is taking a nap. Look at their legs, eyes, and head.

Legs

Many birds actually sleep on one leg. This is not something that happens in all individuals and species, but it is common practice for many birds.

For an exaggerated example where it is easy to see, look up pictures of flamingos sleeping.

Your little parakeet will likely do this too. No, it’s not because they are practicing their balance or anything. Instead, it has to do with heat.

Keeping one foot pressed against their little bodies helps reduce the amount of heat they lose by limiting their surface area.

You don’t need to be concerned that your little bird will tumble away, though. Their toes have a pretty good grip, and they have a good sense of balance, even while they’re asleep.

Eyes

Just like people, a large majority of parakeets will close their eyes when they are asleep. You’ll be able to see their little eyelids covering their eyes.

Of course, closed eyes are not always a direct sign that your parakeet is sleeping; it could also mean that they just feel comfortable!

Just like a person who rests their eyes when they feel cozy and warm wrapped up in blankets, a bird may do this too.

Head

The most obvious and accurate habit that reflects if a bird is asleep is where they hold their head.

For the most part, a bird is always looking forward unless it’s preening its feathers or watching around for something.

When a bird sleeps, it may try to position itself more comfortably. For a parakeet, this position involves taking their head and tucking it around the back into their feathers.

Since a parakeet doesn’t use pillows and blankets, their own feathers are the perfect source for extra warmth, comfort, and darkness.

How Long Do Parakeets Sleep?

On average, a pet parakeet gets a total of ten hours of sleep a day.

Although how long your parakeet will sleep can vary a little bit. Although every bird is an individual and they have individual habits, there is this general rule of thumb that you can typically expect.

This is a little bit more than what humans are expected to have, but not as many hours as cats.

Of course, this sleep isn’t necessarily all at one time. You may find your parakeet sleeping throughout the day, during quieter moments or when they are not distracted!

When Do Parakeets Sleep?

Similarly to humans and guinea pigs, parakeets are diurnal. “Diurnal” is the lesser-known opposite of nocturnal.

This means that parakeets are active during the day when it is bright out and get a majority of their sleep at night.

Generally, a parakeet will sleep from sundown to sunrise. Occasionally, a parakeet will also take little naps in the afternoon as well.

While afternoon naps are nothing to get stressed out about, if you notice that your parakeet is sleeping excessively or very fatigued during the day, you may need to consider taking them to a vet or changing up their routine.

Where Do Parakeets Sleep?

Even though they don’t have their own “beds” per se, there are certain places a parakeet may be more likely to sleep.

Sometimes, they will sleep in cozy nests or hanging hammocks. This is one particular brand that comes with excellent reviews on Amazon. They may even cuddle their partners while they are resting.

These products are great because they help keep out the light and offer a bit of insulation to help keep their bodies nice and warm while they nap.

Just make sure you clean these out occasionally as a parakeet isn’t potty trained, and it can get a little dirty after a while.

Of course, you can’t always expect that your birds will take to every product that you buy them.

Many parakeets forgo those little houses altogether and prefer to sleep directly on their own branches.

For a bird in captivity, these typically take the form of an all natural wooden perch that owners buy and install into the cage. This is a great example of the kind of perch you should buy from Amazon.

Its important that the wood is not treated as this will introduce chemicals into the cage. Equally, an all natural wooden perch will make your bird feel more comfortable, and it will feel more innate and instinctive under their feet.

A parakeet doesn’t need to lean against anything to rest on their branch, although they may push themselves against the side of the cage or against their partners.

While it is pretty uncommon, some silly parakeets will find less conventional positions to sleep in (like the ground).

Don’t be too alarmed if their strange sleeping position doesn’t seem to be hurting them or is not accompanied by other alarming symptoms.

How To Help Your Parakeet Sleep?

You can’t simply ask a parakeet if it is getting enough sleep or not. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use your observations to determine if your parakeet is getting adequate sleep, though.

Healthy parakeets will be active and cheery. With a little time together, you will even notice that they have distinct personalities you can refer to (such as some being more friendly or temperamental than others).

Parakeets love to flutter around, play with toys, and sing all day. They will also keep their feathers clean, eat properly, and drink regularly.

If you notice that your parakeet is sluggish, fatigued, or irritable, the problem may be that they are not getting enough sleep.

You may even notice a struggling parakeet trying to sleep in the middle of the day or taking excessive naps.

There are some things you can do to try to help your parakeet get a good rest. Let us now look at some of the best ways below:

Provide Sufficient Heat

The first thing comes down to helping them keep in the heat. When parakeets sleep, they like to be warm and cozy.

They base their sleeping positions around, keeping in as much heat as possible. It could be that, even if your house is warm during the day, the temperature drops a bit at night.

You may want to consider keeping the windows shut or turning up the heat for your feathered friend. There are also tiny little space heaters that may help give them room the extra kick that they need.

If you know that your home is warm, you may want to think about whether it is too warm. If you have excessive heat during the night that makes you need to turn on the fan, it’s possible that your parakeet is feeling it as well.

When this happens, it’s important to find a way to cool your parakeet down without disrupting their sleep.

Optimize The Lighting

Temperature is not the only factor to consider in a healthy parakeet sleep. There are also plenty of times when light is involved. Parakeets like to sleep in darkness.

They don’t need a nightlight or anything, and complete darkness is actually preferable. The most natural way to do this is to allow their cage to remain open and have some source of sunlight to base their sleeping patterns off of.

Of course, this is not always feasible, and it’s possible that you don’t want your parakeet waking up and being active at the stroke of dawn.

At the same time, if you live in a metropolitan area, there may never be complete darkness outside of your window.

While some parakeets learn to adapt to city lights and beaming cars, it’s a lot less stressful for your parakeet to cut all of that out. Many people choose to use a blanket or sheet to cover the cage. In fact, many companies manufacture covering specifically to cover birdcages.

These are the perfect way to control the activity of your parakeets (and you can leave it on during the early morning hours so they don’t wake you up with 5 am singing). Additionally, they help keep the heat in as well.

Finally

Parakeets are a fun and exciting bird, kept by millions of people all over the world. Whether they are referred to as parakeets or budgies, they are one and the same.

No matter how you refer to them, taking care of them as best you can and ensuring all their needs are met is ultimately your responsibility.

Educating yourself on their ways and behaviors is one such way that you ensure you do so. Coming here today should hopefully have set you in good stead.

Just remember, while birds can be loud and while it can sometimes feel like they are singing all the time, the truth is, they do actually sleep and it is very important for them.

Making sure that they get the right amount of high-quality sleep is essential for keeping them happy and healthy. Even if they do so in interesting and intriguing ways.