Sleeping With Your Dog can Affect Sleep Quality

Sleep is frequently a social experience, even though it is a succession of neural correlates that permit little to no reactivity to those around us. Bed-sharing is common practice for 82% of married, committed, or cohabiting couples living in the US. 32% of those surveyed say they have slept together with a baby or animal. Sharing a similar mattress with other humans or animals is referred to as bed sharing. Despite sharing a mattress being the most common application of the phrase “co-sleeping,” it can also apply to rooms being shared. While sharing a mattress and a bedroom may have similar effects on sleep. Sharing a mattress is more likely to intensify any beneficial or bad effects of co-sleeping due to the close closeness of the person.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of dogs on the bed on sleep quality. Moreover it sheds light on quantity for both dogs and humans.

Introduction

Contemporary dogs as well as cat owners frequently form close personal bonds with their animals. So, it should not be unexpected that dog parents frequently allow their dogs inside the house, such as the bedroom. Most dog and cat enthusiasts sleep on the same bed as their pets. Few research has examined the links between animal bed sharing as well as sleep quality, even though it is becoming more widespread. Yet, evidence to date indicates that having a dog on the bed with you could reduce the quality of your sleep.

Actigraphy measurements have shown that sharing a mattress with a dog is linked to decreased sleep effectiveness, increased alertness after sleep onset, as well as sleep disruption brought on by the movement of the dog. Yet, even though the entire population had bad sleep, animal owners did not perceive their sleeping patterns to be substantially different from non-pet owners, according to a previous study that used self-report assessments. This distinction may be made because average adult mattress mates, especially those with differing chronotypes including work hours, are less inclined than pets to have an impact on the sleep patterns of their owners.

Also, it was discovered that kids (8–11 years old) who slept with an animal were more likely to acknowledge sleeping issues such as getting up in the middle of the night while staying up later to play. Variations in the accumulation of sleep episodes between domesticated dogs as well as our species may be a contributing factor to issues with bed sharing among human beings and dogs in general. 

Sleeping with Dogs: the ‘Pet Effect’

The dog can have up to three periods of sleep followed by wakefulness throughout the night, interrupting the slumber of its human co-sleepers. In contrast to humans, who have a monophasic circadian rhythm. Cats could be more awake during the hours when their human forms are sleeping because they tend to have their main sleep phase in the middle of the afternoon. Dog owners experiencing allergies may have particular worries about sharing mattresses with their animals.

Sleeping with dogs allergies

When sleeping next to a dog, homeowners who are susceptible to pollen, and fur, or are suffering from breathing problems may experience worsened allergic symptoms. While sleeping together with dogs, allergy complaints such as coughing, congestion, nasal congestion, as well as watery eyes are most likely to render it hard to fall asleep as well as interrupt sleep all across the night. Yet, some research suggests that introducing co-sleeping with a dog early on may help children experiencing allergies by gradually exposing them to allergens, potentially preventing sleep problems brought on by pet allergies in the future.

Disruptions

The plurality of dog owners does not perceive that their dog interrupts their sleep, despite certain studies’ findings showing over 50% of dog owners claim that their dogs wake them up every night. Instead, many think that the consolation their pet offers helps them sleep. Using actigraphy as well as self-reports, another study discovered that women’s sleep disruptions were linked to their dog’s motions, even though they still believed their dog helped them sleep better.

These variances, however, might be accounted for by variations in the dog’s age, size, as well as dimensions of the shared mattress. The “pet effect” refers to the general psychological and physical advantages of pet keeping. The pet effect’s beneficial elements may last longer if owners and pets share beds since it enhances time spent together. This might be a factor in people choosing to let their pets sleep with them in bed. 

Also, sleeping with a dog can serve as a safeguarding factor and lessen the likelihood of some sleep disruptions, like nightmares. Even though sleeping on a mattress with a dog may cause sleep disturbances, there are also potential psychological and physical advantages to bed sharing. Despite the absence of direct comparisons between pets as well as other dyads, it is important to think about whether pets are the most amenable to adjusting to a person’s sleeping pattern when compared to the other dyads examined here. Pets can offer consolation that has enduring implications on psychological well-being, a field that has just recently received attention. The question of whether these advantages outweigh the disadvantages will become more crucial in the future.

Conclusion

Previous research on the topic has produced mixed results. Some studies have found that dogs on the bed can improve the sleep quality of both humans and dogs by increasing feelings of security and reducing stress. Other studies have found that dogs in bed can have negative effects on sleep, such as increased awakenings and disturbances. However, the current literature on this topic is limited and has several gaps. For example, most studies have focused on the effects of co-sleeping with dogs on human sleep, while few studies have investigated the effects on dog sleep. Additionally, most studies have relied on self-reported sleep measures, which may be subject to bias.

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