The Real Truth: Sleep Needs in Parrots

[Ankou]

That certainly is in line with my personal experience, especially the point on roosting vs. sleeping.

When Peanut was younger I was able to control her hormones better around the solstices by trying to make sure she got 12 hours of darkness... but "uninterrupted" or "sleep?" Not really. The constant daylight in the summer and constant house light in the winter seemed to put her into breeding mode, so I'd do a 12-12 reset.

Peanut has shared a bedroom with me for 18 years and almost that entire time I've had varying degrees of insomnia. I'm quiet, use headphones, but not silent or pitch black and she knows when I'm awake even if I'm in bed. My bizarre schedule has never seemed to bother her.
Because I'm awake I can also hear when she's awake. Eating and drinking several times in one night, preening, practicing speech/sounds quietly, even playing are not at all uncommon. Even now that she's geriatric and probably sleeps around 16-17 hours a day she's still does things at night. She takes a 30 min - 1 hour before she goes to sleep, even if she was already asleep outside her cage and awake quietly at least an hour before she starts her morning alarm squawk.

Thought interestingly, she chooses when she goes to sleep (usually 9:30-10 PM) and yells when she's read to be let out (Exactly and without fail 9:30 AM.)

 

[macawpower58]

LOL I think those of us who have had our birds for 20+ years, realize it's an unreachable goal, even if it's 'scientifically' recommended.

I'm glad they're now debunking it, though truthfully I've not read John's article.

Mine let me know when they're tired, and when they wake.

They seem to do just fine adjusting to a different schedules too, sleeping when we're at work, and having a blast at night when we're home.

 

[Dartman]

Nerd went to bed when he was ready and was never covered the 31 years he was with us. He always seemed happy and if the sun was out early he'd be flock calling and making noise before we got up. Lurch would toddle of about 8pm because he originally lived with a elderly man who probably went to bed early. After he got here he adjusted to our much later schedule and was fine going to bed around 11pm if he felt like letting us put him in. Dobby at first didn't want the fun to end and would refuse to go in at 11 and we'd chase him all over the place till he gave up. Now he will fly around a bit for show but is ready for bed at 10 or 11. We usually cover him because that is what Momazon did but he's fine if he's uncovered and will just move down to his eat, escape, and watch the flock perch. When we are at work he snoozes, runs down occasionally and plays with his toys or eats and drinks, then goes back to his favorite sleep/roost perch to preen, sit, snooze. He never seems overly tired either. Lurch wasn't a morning bird and pretty grumpy in the morning, Nerd would just find a dark corner if not in the mood to be bothered and Dobby will mostly ignore the noises and sleep but sometimes wakes up and wants to interact. I think we are their flock and as long as they are healthy and happy they adjust to the routine we have. Nerd knew my usual home time, what my car sounded like, etc, and would get excited when he heard my car about a block away.