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The Importance of a Good Nights Sleep
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A good nights rest is key to keeping your parrot happy and healthy, yet it is overlooked by so many people who keep companion parrots in their homes.  Some parrots are quite content with a mere 8 hours of sleep where others may require as many as 14 hours of rest each night.  It is natural for a parrot to sleep in the middle of the day.  I hear this so often when I speak with clients "He goes to bed at 11 p.m. and gets up at 5 a.m. but he takes a nap every day".  Parrots naturally take a "nap" every day in the wild during the hottest hours of the day, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. this is a resting time before going out to forage for food before their long flight back to their nesting area.  We need to give our parrots at least 10 hours of complete darkness with soft white noise running through the night.  White noise you ask?  Yes, this is very important as silence means danger in the wild.  Have you ever gone camping?  You listen to all the creatures and noises of the night, then all of a sudden complete silence.  This means there is a predator in the vicinity.  Our parrots do not understand that a predator cannot come through the walls, ceilings, or windows. So we must provide them with the constant of white noise to help them have the best rest possible.  Different species require either more or less hours of sleep.  African Grey Parrots are more nocturnal than a Umbrella Cockatoo, there for a Grey may stay up later where as your Cockatoo may start to scream as early as 5 p.m.  This is their way of calling the flock in for the night.  My two Umbrella Cockatoos go to bed as early as 4 p.m. and rise at about 6 a.m.  Yet my Congo African Greys enjoy staying up until 8 p.m. and they rise at 7 a.m.  A good nights rest helps to keep your parrots immune system strong, and also makes your parrot much happier. I know I can be very cranky when I do not get the proper amount of sleep each night and I have complete control over my sleep cycle.  So be sure to give your parrot the best possible sleep routine that you are able to as this will ensure a happy parrot come morning.

Sweet Dreams!

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