Sleeping tents & other snuggle toys are not a good idea for adult birds. In the wild, birds do not use nests to sleep in & they would only be snuggling with a mate. Nests are only used during breeding season. Providing anything that resembles a nest will at some point trigger hormonal & breeding behavior. In the case of female birds - especially small species like parakeets, lovebirds & cockatiels - sleeping tents/nests/etc. can stimulate egg laying & can lead to the bird becoming a chronic egg layer, eventually endangering the bird's health.
Sleeping tents & such can be great for baby birds, but should be discarded as soon as the bird has grown out of the baby stage. A wild baby parrot would not survive if it was allowed to hide in a nest once it is old enough to be on its own. Leaving a tent in the cage for too long can cause a bird to want to breed at too young of an age. Again, the risk is greater for female birds because it can trigger early egg laying.
Triggering hormonal/breeding behavior in a pet birds can result in unwanted egg laying, aggression, or a constant state of heightened hormones - something that is often linked to feather destructive behavior. In the wild, environmental changes are key in birds going in & out of breeding condition. In captivity, we tend to provide a stable environment year round & therefore need to be aware of possible stimulants that we accidentally provide.
(name withheld by request)
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