I can and do get behind the idea of sleeping with dogs. My 50-pound “lap-dog” is a snuggler and protector. When he sleeps with my human partner and me, I swear we sleep sounder and feel more awake during the day.
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Turns out my notion that our pup helps me sleep is backed by science!
A new study by Anthrozoös discovered sleeping with a dog can have a positive impact on women’s ability to sleep. The study consisted of about 1,000 women who sleep with at least 1 dog, a cat or a human. Here is the break down:
- 55% of participants shared their bed with at least one dog
- 31% with at least one cat.
- 57% of participants shared their bed with a human partner.
The study concluded that when it comes to being a good sleeping partner, dogs ranked higher than cats, and yes…even human companions (sorry, husbands).
“Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner’s bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security.”
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On the flip side, owner’s who slept with their cats slept worse, but their sleeping experience was on par with sleeping with a human partner.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
But before you kick your husband and cat to the couch, this is a preliminary study, so researchers must dig deeper before they can consider these results conclusive.
“Follow-up research is necessary to determine if pet owners’ perceptions of pets’ impacts on their sleep align with objective measures of sleep quality.”
Good news, cats and spouses! You’re not out in the cold just yet!
