Can I Sleep With My Parrot? + Risks Involved.

We know how easy it can be to fall asleep in bed with your parrot. Most of the time, the parrot will be the first one to doze off, which can cause you to forget he is there.

It is not a good idea to sleep with your parrot. If you sleep with your parrot, you risk accidentally suffocating it. A bird can suffocate and die with only its arm resting on its body for a few minutes, even if its head is sticking out. It also increases your chance of contracting psittacosis.

Although it’s adorable and shows trust and compassion from both sides, sleeping with your parrot is risky. So, let’s find out the potential risks involved if you sleep with your parrot.

Why Shouldn’t You Sleep With Your Parrot? (Risks Involved)

It’s natural for people to move around while they sleep. Even changing the position of your head, leg or arm can suffocate your parrot.

If you accidentally roll onto them, you could harm them physically by breaking their neck and other bones.

Parrots need 10 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, so even if you don’t smother or crush them, you will disturb them every time you move.

Falling asleep with your parrot too often can lead to it not wanting to sleep in its cage anymore. It will take time to adjust and will probably make a tremendous racket for the first few days.

If you intentionally fall asleep while your bird is on or around you, the guilt will be unbearable if something terrible happens (a considerable risk, in our opinion).

Parrots bite away at tree cavities in the wild to get more comfortable. They might bite you while trying to get comfortable as well, purely out of instinct.

We had earlier mentioned of the disease psittacosis you can contract if you sleep with your parrot. So, what is psittacosis and is it dreadful?

What Is Psittacosis Disease?

If your parrot sleeps beside you, you will land up with parrot poop all over your bed. Not only will it look bad, it’s also unhealthy for you.

You can contract psittacosis, which is a disease caused by bacteria and spreads through parrot droppings. We also know this as parrot fever.

Psittacosis hangs around in your system undetected for about two weeks. After that, symptoms may include fevers, diarrhea, joint pains, nosebleeds, and decreased white blood cells.

If you’re diagnosed with psittacosis, a doctor will normally prescribe a course of oral antibiotics for you to take.

Usually, you’ll be back to normal within a couple of days, completing the full course is advisable.

Related Further Reading:

Do Parrots Need To Be Covered At Night?

You don’t have to cover your parrot up overnight as long as there aren’t any bright lights or movement that will disturb it.

However, to provide a range of benefits to your parrot, cover the entire cage with a thick blanket for sleeping times.

Birds naturally sleep at night and are active during the day, so the darker you can make their cage, the better.

It’s better to imitate the privacy and protection of a tree nesting hole. This way, they won’t see any movement or lights in the area and get sound sleep.

Why Does My Parrot Fall Asleep On Me?

Your parrot trusts you and feels comfortable enough to take a quick snooze on your body. This is fine if you’re watching TV or reading a book in bed, but don’t fall asleep with your parrot because of the potential risks we covered earlier on.

You’ll also disturb your parrot’s sleep if you wake up and transfer it into its cage in the middle of the night. So, when you see your parrot falling asleep on you, instead put it in its cage with a blanket covering it completely.

Where Do Parrots Sleep In The Wild?

About half of all birds sleep in tree holes, and the parrots are part of that half. They sleep in tree cavities for protection from predators while being shielded from wind and rain.

They lay eggs in these types of nests where they raise their young. The holes are dark and blend in well with the environment to keep the parrot safe.

The tree cavities form when dead branches fall off the tree, leaving a hole in the trunk. Sometimes birds will peck and pick away at the cavity to make it bigger and more comfortable, but only if they need to.

Parrots sleep in the tree cavities in the wild. So, you must be wondering the ideal place for your parrot to sleep and take the all needed rest.

Where Can Your Parrot Sleep In Captivity?

A pet parrot should sleep on its perch inside its cage. You should cover the cage with a blanket to keep it dark during sleeping times, as it will be most comfortable this way.

Any movement outside of the cage won’t bother your parrot if it’s covered (unless there’s a loud noise). Your pet parrot will feel like they have a safe shelter similar to that of a tree hole.

Don’t let your parrot out of its cage to sleep wherever it wants. There are too many dangers involved with doing that, and it’s not an ideal situation as a parrot needs to get 12 hours of peaceful sleep.

Do Parrots Sleep At Night?

Parrots sleep at night. They originate from tropical and subtropical continents that have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark on average.

For example, 6 pm to 6 am, although some parrots will do just fine with about 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Parrots need a little more sleep than we do, so if you’re sleeping for 6 to 8 hours, cover your parrot’s cage a few hours before you go to bed.

Recommended Related Articles:

Parting Thoughts

You should not sleep with your parrot. For uninterrupted sleep, parrots can’t have anything moving around them and prefer not to see any lights in the area.

So you need to cover their cage with a thick blanket. It will help to replicate the environment of a nesting hole to keep them relaxed for sleeping.

Even if you don’t inadvertently smother or crush your parrot while sleeping, it won’t sleep peacefully outside of its cage.

Besides that, there are many diseases you can contract from your parrot, especially if there are droppings on your bed and clothes.

If you’re watching a movie in bed or on your couch and think you might fall asleep before the end, set the alarm on your phone so you can wake up and put your bird in its cage to get some quality sleep.