Most pet owners have strong opinions on whether their furry friends should sleep in their beds. Some can’t stand tossing, turning, itching, and wet noses nudging you for more petting at 3 a.m. Others are the opposite, with some saying they can’t sleep without their dog’s presence. Though the argument has been around for as long as people and pets became friends, it surfaced with a vengeance after a TikTok video reignited the argument. (1)
The video shows dogs snuggling with their owners, and lists multiple benefits for both dogs and people for sleeping together, from lowered risks of severe illnesses (for the owners) to fewer issues with separation anxiety (for the dogs). It even said that 41 percent of pet owners think their pet’s rhythmic breathing is calming to them. But are the claims true?
Researchers have long known about both the benefits and drawbacks of constant contact all night in the same bed. Around 30-50 percent of adults regularly share their bed with their animals. (2) The same research reports around 1 in 3 children sleep with pets.
But what have medical professionals and scientists, not TikTok, found to be true about the benefits and drawbacks?
- A 2017 study conducted by Mayo found that dog owners slept more efficiently when their dogs were nearby. (3)
- A 2018 study found that women sleep more soundly with their dogs than their spouses or other pets. (4)
- A 2024 study found that those who slept with dogs had poorer sleep quality and greater severity of insomnia. (5)
These mixed results show that it’s largely dependent on both the owner and the pet. You likely know if you are going to have a relaxing cuddle with your pet, or if they are going to keep you awake most of the night begging to go out and jumping on you.
For some specific groups, such as those suffering from chronic pain, older research found that the majority of chronic pain patients surveyed believed their dog helped them sleep better. (6) For the numerous women who would rather sleep with their dog than their partner, it comes down to a feeling of security (and maybe a little less snoring from furry buddies).
And don’t get the cat and dog owners started — because each will convince you their pets are better to sleep with than the other. But regardless of if you have a bunny, iguana, or a much more cuddle-able pet, don’t let your desire to hang out with them all night impede on much-needed sleep. It’s just not worth it, and if you both rest better, you can enjoy the daytime with them just as well.
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Sources
1. @myla.thebluestaffy; “the best sleep companion,” TikTok; https://www.tiktok.com/@myla.thebluestaffy/video/7367469969782689056; May 10, 2024.
2. Hillary Rowe, Denise C. Jarrin, Neressa A.O. Noel, Joanne Ramil, Jennifer J. McGrath,
The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime: The effects of pet-human co-sleeping and bedsharing on sleep dimensions of children and adolescents, Sleep Health, Volume 7, Issue 3, 2021, Pages 324-331, ISSN 2352-7218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2021.02.007.
3. Salma I. Patel, MD, MPH; Bernie W. Miller, RPSGT;
Heidi E. Kosiorek, MS; James M. Parish, MD; Philip J. Lyng, MD; Lois E. Krahn, MD; “The Effect of Dogs on Human Sleep in the Home Sleep Environment,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.06.014; September 2017.
4. Hoffman, C. L., Stutz, K., & Vasilopoulos, T. (2018). An Examination of Adult Women’s Sleep Quality and Sleep Routines in Relation to Pet Ownership and Bedsharing. Anthrozoös, 31(6), 711–725. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2018.1529354
5. Chin, B.N., Singh, T. & Carothers, A.S. Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Sci Rep 14, 5577 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56055-9
6. Brown CA, Wang Y, Carr ECJ. Undercover Dogs: Pet Dogs in the Sleep Environment of Patients with Chronic Pain. Social Sciences. 2018; 7(9):157. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7090157
