Do budgies have nightmares?

Image © katfreak123

All budgies have nightmares. Some budgies have it more frequently or violently than others and it's especially for these budgies that I write this blog post.  

When does this happen?

• Usually between late evening and early morning
• Budgies have poor eyesight in the dark, so they are more alert and get startled by any sudden movement or noise that wakes them from their (near) sleep
• When one budgie wakes up and gets scared, the others will get scared as well

Image © Tailfeathers Network

What are the main reasons?

• They are in a strange world; a budgie who has no one to relate to will more likely get nightmares than budgies who sleep together in a group
• Mite infestation (mites are nocturnal creatures that will bite your budgie while it sleeps. The bites can be painful and create a nasty dream in the bird's head.)
• Poor eyesight in combination with the natural fright of the dark that most animals share
• Lack of sleep or a disturbed sleeping pattern (too many budgies don't get the necessary 12 hours of sleep)
• Naturally high metabolism
• Trauma (for example death of a partner)
• A dark blanket over the cage (your budgie isn't able to see anything and will not feel safe)

What happens when a budgie gets a nightmare?

• Budgie wakes up with a loud squawk
• Budgie is only partially awake and gets disorientated
• Budgie will start flying around in the cage, bumping into the sides (and other budgies)
• In the worst case, your budgie may lose its balance and fall off the perch
• Some factors will only increase their fear (heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning)
• Most nightmares are no more than a little scare and those are quickly over, but the bird will likely still be in shock minutes afterwards (breathing very fast, eyes wide open)

Night terrors are dangerous, as budgies can hurt themselves while fluttering around in the cage.


How can you help your budgie to sleep better?

Image ©blog.superguide.jp

• Add a small night light in the room
• Dont make any sudden movements or loud noises in the dark when you go to bed
• Don't watch any scary/horror movies when they can hear it. If you watch tv late in the evening, I recommend you to keep the volume down in any case.
• Cover their cage for the night, but only with a light, thin blanket.
• Remove the blanket carefully in the morning, don't pull it off briskly
• Put the cage in a quiet room where no cars pass by
• Do NOT put your budgies in the kitchen! There are too many noises there that frighten them.
• Keep your budgies away from cats and dogs in the house, budgies see so poorly in the dark that they won't recognize them and get scared

One more tip I can give you: as an owner, try to stick to a fixed sleeping pattern because your budgie automatically adapts itself to your rhythm. The same, familiar scene every evening will make your budgie sleep better and reduce the number of nightmares.