More People Like Sleeping With Their Pet Than Their Spouse

Beautiful young woman or girl cuddles and hugs her best friend basenji puppy dog, sleep together under blankets in hipster designer bed on cold day, peace and quiet

Your furry friend may just well be the key to better sleep and happiness. But you probably already know that.

When the British pollster OnePoll asked 2,000 American pet owners if they allowed their pets to sleep with them and 66 percent said yes. And 58 percent of the respondents in relationships admitted to preferring to sleep in bed with their pets, over their partners.

New research suggests that people who share a bed with their pets may “reap the benefits of better sleep.” Previous research warned people who slept with pets that it may interrupt their sleep. But the tide is turning for you and your furry friend. But like this study from last year, there are many benefits to sleeping with your pet.

The British poll also found out that more Americans are likely to turn to their pets rather than their partners for nighttime affection.

For many whom co-sleeping with their pet is a given, researchers have found their quality of sleep may have been improved in ways that hadn’t been previously discovered. Slightly more than half of the participants in the study said that sleeping with their pet decreased their stress and anxiety, while 42 percent said their pet makes them feel secure in bed overall.

And while our canine and feline pals can spend as much as 50 percent of their day in furry dreamland according to the American Kennel Club, they’re more than happy to adjust their sleep schedule to be asleep when we are, making them the perfect bespoke bedtime buddies. Separate research by OnePoll (on behalf of Lovesac), found that four in 10 respondents reported a higher quality of shut-eye while co-sleeping with their pet, likely because their cuddly company would rarely get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night (59 percent), or “disturb their slumber” by snoring loudly (53 percent). In fact, most pet owners find furry snores more comforting than disturbing: 43 percent said they actually prefer to have their fur pals with them as a source of “white noise.”