Companion Parrots and Sleep: Debunking the 12-Hour Myth

Companion parrots do not need 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. They do not require total darkness, sleep cages, blackout curtains, or lighting designed to mimic gradual sunrise and sunset cycles. You may find this surprising—even avian veterinarians are now repeating this widely accepted but incorrect advice. Social media is flooded with the claim: “All parrots need 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.” Sometimes, complete darkness is included in the recommendation.

Yet, this belief is a myth. In this article, I will explain how it started, why it is incorrect, why it persists despite evidence to the contrary, the harm it causes, and what parrots truly need for healthy sleep. Please read with an open mind.

How This Myth Began

Liz Wilson and The Pet Bird Report

Around 30 years ago, Sally Blanchard published The Pet Bird Report, a magazine that quickly became popular due to its humor, artistic flair, and the growing interest in parrots. At the time, reliable information about parrot care was scarce. Blanchard recruited contributors—myself included—who were active in early online discussions about parrot behavior. However, the truth is, none of us knew much about parrots back then.

One contributor, Liz Wilson, wrote an article stating that “All parrots need 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.” This conclusion was based on her personal experience with her one parrot—a Blue and Gold Macaw who settled down at 7:00 PM and woke up at 7:00 AM. She put him in a sleep cage in the attic for 12 hours each night.

Her choice of wording was unfortunate. Parrots are not a single species. Unlike dogs, which belong to the same species despite their various breeds, parrots comprise many different species, each with distinct behaviors and needs. Each species will have its own customs and ways of behaving.

We can’t really state that “all parrots” do or need anything expect perhaps the most basic of activities – flying, bathing, foraging, copulating, and sleeping. Further, how they engage in those activities may look very different across species lines.

Once Wilson’s statement was published, readers repeated it, and it quickly gained traction on social media. Once misinformation spreads in print and online, it becomes difficult to refute.

The Role of Avian Veterinarians

The “12 hours of darkness” part of the myth originated when some avian veterinarians noticed that New World parrots (such as Amazons, macaws, and quakers) displayed seasonal hormonal changes in the spring, often becoming more aggressive and vocal. The vets attributed this to increased daylength and recommended that all parrots receive 12 to 14 hours of complete darkness at night to suppress reproductive hormones.

These two pieces of advice—”12 hours of uninterrupted sleep” and “12 hours of darkness”—became conflated into a single recommendation that all parrots require 12 hours of total darkness and sleep each night. However, this is scientifically incorrect.

Why This Myth is False

1. Wild Parrots Do Not Sleep in Total Darkness

Parrots in the wild are not sleeping in pitch-black conditions. Even on moonless nights, there is some ambient light. They are also surrounded by nocturnal sounds from insects, other animals, and even predators. If parrots thrive in a naturally lit, active nighttime environment in the wild, why would they need total darkness and silence in captivity?

Additionally, many parrot species do not live along the equator and therefore do not experience a constant 12-hour light/dark cycle. Research shows that while parrots may roost for periods that correlate with nightfall, they do not necessarily sleep the entire time. (Brooke and Birkhead, 1991).

It is roost entry and departure that correspond most directly with day length; the sleep period seems less so. (Brooke and Birkhead 1991, 145). “Most birds spend about eight hours out of every 24-hour cycle asleep, although there is great variability between species in the amount of sleep and even within species there may be a large seasonal variation.” (Brooke and Birkhead 1991, 148).

2. Different Species Have Different Sleep and Hormonal Triggers

New World parrots (Amazons, macaws, Pionus, quakers) tend to breed as days grow longer, making day length a factor in hormone production. Old World parrots (African greys, cockatoos, budgerigars, cockatiels, lovebirds, Poicephalus species) become more hormonally active as days shorten. This means that forcing Old World parrots into longer periods of darkness may actually increase hormonal behaviors—the opposite of the intended effect.

3. Some Parrots Are Naturally Active at Night

Here are some documented examples of nighttime activity in parrots (*Juniper & Parr, Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World):

• Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii): “May be active and call loudly after dark, particularly on moonlit nights.”
• Rose-breasted Cockatoo / Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus): “May be active and noisy through the night.”
• Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii): “This species is active after dark.”

Additionally, cockatoos in captivity are known to vocalize at night, and many African grey owners report their birds moving around after dark. If these birds are naturally active at night, forcing them into 12-hour sleep periods may not align with their biological rhythms.

4. Parrots Display Unihemispheric Slow-Wave Sleep (USWS)

Some parrot species (including budgerigars and cockatoos) have been shown to sleep with one hemisphere of the brain at a time, keeping one eye open for predator detection (Rattenborg et al., 2000). Birds with this ability do not require long periods of continuous sleep, as they can alternate brain hemispheres during rest.

This is called Unihemispheric Slow-Wave Sleep (USWS). In simple terms, they sleep with one hemisphere of the brain at a time, leaving the other free for predator detection. “In regular sleep, both eyes are shut, and the brain enters a degree of unconsciousness. However, many birds cannot afford to shut down completely when they need rest, due to the extreme hazards they may face if they lose focus or vigilance, even for a matter of seconds. They have evolved with a particular adaptation that helps them survive, balancing the need to rest with the importance of staying alert: Unihemispheric Slow-Wave Sleep (2).” We do not, however, know that unihemispheric sleep is found in all parrot species because they have not been studied.

Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) have been proven to display this type of sleep (6). I found evidence of another study done proving the presence of unihemispheric sleep in cockatoos, but I was unable to locate the research paper. (Rattenborg, N. C, et al. “Behavioral evidence for unihemispheric sleep in the cockatoo (Cacatua galerita).” Aviary Research. 2000) It has also been proven to exist in Half-moon Conures (7). It is observed in most of the bird species that have been studied to date (7).

Birds who do have this adaptation are able to switch back and forth between sleeping with both hemispheres to unihemispheric sleep when needed. They will sleep with both hemispheres in safer conditions.

Lastly, we have evidence that birds do not maintain active sleep for extended periods as we do.  As noted in the Handbook of Bird Biology, “… unlike most mammals, active sleep periods are short in birds, and in some species sleep is interrupted frequently to permit vigilance against potential predators.” (Lovette 2016, 254)

Why This Myth Persists

Humans have a cognitive bias called the Illusory Truth Effect, which causes us to believe things simply because we hear them repeated often. Social media and well-meaning but misinformed professionals have perpetuated this myth, making it difficult to challenge. Some experts even acknowledge that parrots may not need 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep but still advise owners to provide it—fearing backlash for contradicting common wisdom.

However, this outdated recommendation can harm parrots by limiting their social interaction and leading to unnecessary stress.

The Harm Caused by This Myth

1. Reduces Social Interaction – Owners who work full-time may only have evening hours to spend with their parrots. Enforcing a strict “bedtime” can deprive parrots of valuable social time. Parrots need training and guidance in addition to simply being around their owners.
2. Sleep Cages as Nesting Triggers – Many parrots perceive sleep cages as nesting cavities, which can trigger hormonal behavior.
3. Ignores Other Factors in Hormone Regulation – I have written and spoken at length about the problems caused by increased production of reproductive hormones. I have identified 5 different triggers. Daylength is not amoung them. It plays a role, but only in conjunction with temperature.

The Best Approach to Parrot Sleep

Behavior is a study of one—what works best will depend on your parrot’s species, environment, and routine. There is no universal rule.

1. Sleep cages are unnecessary unless they serve a specific function in your home.
2. Allow your parrot to sleep when they feel comfortable.
3. If you get home late, don’t worry about keeping your parrot up with you—they nap during the day.
4. If your parrot prefers dim light or a nightlight, that is fine.

Final Thoughts

There is no scientific evidence proving that all parrots require 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. You can now feel free to adjust your routine. I suggest that you watch your parrot in the evening. When she starts grinding her beak, that is a sign that she is going to roost. Some birds don’t grind their beaks but will settle down in a specific spot each night. That is a good bedtime for your bird. In the morning, best practice is to get them up as early as possible.

Let’s modernize our approach to parrot care based on evidence rather than outdated myths. Please share this article with your avian veterinarian and parrot care groups to spread awareness!

Please share this post in your groups and with your avian veterinarian. We must modernize our rhetoric and our practices to reflect new learning about parrots.

Thank you for reading my blog. I am Pamela Clark, a Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant. My passion is helping people with their parrots, with any problem large or small. To access free resources, schedule a consultation, subscribe to my newsletter (a different publication), or purchase my webinars, go to http://www.pamelaclarkonline.com.

BRAND NEW: The Parrot Steward Community – Are you tired of getting misinformation online? Are you tired of all the meanness? Come join my community where the information is correct and members receive support and compassion. This site is dedicated to learning more about parrots so that we can provide for them better. Join here: https://the-parrot-steward-community.mn.co/share/xJURheWr8coXRNxY?utm_source=manual.

Reference List for ‘Companion Parrots and Sleep: Debunking the 12-Hour Myth’

1. Brooke, M. & Birkhead, T. (1991). Sleep patterns and roosting behavior in birds. Cambridge University Press.
2. Juniper, T., & Parr, M. (1998). Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World. Yale University Press.
3. Lovette, I. J., & Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2016). Handbook of Bird Biology (3rd ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Wiley.
4. Luescher, A. U. (Ed.). (2006). Manual of Parrot Behavior. Blackwell Publishing.
5. Rattenborg, N. C., Lima, S. L., & Amlaner, C. J. (2000). Behavioral evidence for unihemispheric sleep in the cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). Avian Research Journal.
6. Stanford, M. (2002). Calcium Metabolism in Grey Parrots: The Effects of Husbandry. Proceedings of the Association of Avian Veterinarians Conference, Monterey, CA.
7. World Parrot Trust. (n.d.). Parrot Research & Sleep Studies. Retrieved from www.parrots.org
8. Gabriel Foundation. (n.d.). Parrot Care and Behavioral Studies. Retrieved from www.thegabrielfoundation.org
9. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Avian Sleep Studies & Unihemispheric Sleep. Retrieved from http://www.birds.cornell.edu
10. Psychological Science Journal. (2016). The Illusory Truth Effect and the Spread of Misinformation. DOI: 10.1177/0956797616679653