Is it possible to sleep in the same bed with a dog or cat?

Many of those who could not imagine that there would be an animal in their bed change their point of view. As soon as a puppy or kitten appears in the house, your heart melts on the very first night. After this, sleeping in a hug with a pet becomes commonplace for many. Some people consider this the norm, others condemn it. What do scientists who have already studied this problem from all sides think about this?

For many years, it was believed that co-sleeping with a pet is a great way to reduce stress, normalize blood pressure and even strengthen the immune system. But scientists from Trinity College in Connecticut, USA, believe that not everything is so simple.

The researchers conducted a large-scale survey in which 15 thousand people of different genders and ages took part. Everyone answered questions about what kind of pet they keep at home and whether they let it into their bed. After this, participants were asked to rate the quality of their sleep.

It turned out that insomnia was more common among those who slept in bed with a pet. Those whose pets spend the night in the same room with them also complained about poor sleep. When scientists began to find out which animal sleeps nearby in a particular case, it turned out that the cause of sleep disturbance in almost all cases was dogs. Interestingly, the size of the animal and its breed do not matter.

At the same time, 93 percent of dog lovers surveyed said that they feel much calmer when their four-legged friend is nearby. They didn’t even suspect that it was their dog that was causing their poor sleep. Project leader, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology Brian Chin noted:

Those surveyed who had two or more dogs sleeping next to them slept the worst. Cat owners did not complain at all about poor sleep. But what to do? Need to wean your dog off bed urgently? Ideally, it is best to do this. But scientists, having studied the issue, have found a way out for those who, for some reason, cannot or do not want to do this.

To normalize sleep, you need to improve its conditions. First of all, experts recommend changing bedding regularly. This needs to be done much more often than usual. Fur and paw dust accumulate on blankets and sheets. As for the molting period, in this case only daily replacement will help.

Make sure you and your dog have enough space to sleep. Scientists recommend sleeping on a large bed so as not to disturb each other. Well, the most important thing is to accustom the dog to your schedule. The animal should sleep at the same time as you and not jump up in the middle of the night to solve some of its urgent dog matters.

What if you don't have a pet but still have trouble sleeping? Here are 10 simple ways to get rid of insomnia.