Sleep is going to the dogs! A recent survey by DUSK, a luxury homeware merchandiser headquartered in London, found that a quarter of British women would prefer to sleep next to their dog than their husband at night. (1) We get it — they are fluffy, super cute, and likely don’t steal your covers.
Of the 2,000 women surveyed, 77 percent said their partners had annoying sleep habits, with snoring being the top culprit. Their partner’s ability to steal the covers left 50 percent of women feeling frustrated. Husbands, however, felt differently. Only 13 percent of husbands said they’d prefer to sleep next to their pet, and 60 percent found their partner’s sleeping habits to be annoying.
This study has similar results to a U.S. study conducted in 2018 by Canisius College in New York in which it was found that women sleep more soundly with their dogs than their spouses or other pets. (2) The study surveyed 1,000 women across the U.S. and found that dogs provided a level of security and the women actually had higher quality of sleep when compared to their human bed partner. Additional studies since then have had mixed results — guess it depends how much you like your partner, and your dog.
When it comes to getting quality sleep with your partner, some couples have found that a “sleep divorce,” or sleeping in separate rooms, works best. A 2023 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that a third of Americans sleep in another room to allow both partners to get quality sleep. (3) There are options though for sleeping better with your sleep partner if a “sleep divorce” feels too extreme for you.
If occasional snoring is the main culprit, you can use white noise or music to help cover the sound. Your partner can also work to sleep on their side to help minimize the chances of snoring. If snoring is more than an occasional thing, have your partner talk with their medical provider about their symptoms. Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder.
Other options to help ensure that both partners are getting quality sleep include:
- Communicating and compromising on room temperature or investing in a mattress that is dual-zoned. You could also consider the Scandinavian sleep method where both partners have their own blankets while sharing the same mattress.
- Take time for connection or snuggling outside of bed, especially if you and your partner have two different sleep schedules or one is a night owl and the other is an early bird.
- If too much movement from your partner keeps waking you up, look into a mattress with better motion isolation or stability. This will help minimize the motion you feel.
Whether you choose to share a bed with your dog, your partner, or both, it’s important to remember that quality sleep is important to your overall health. And if your pup does get relegated to the floor, make sure to buy them the best dog bed possible to ease the transition.
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Sources
1. Dusk; “Don’t Lose Sleep Over It: The Most Annoying Sleeping Habits Revealed,” Dusk.com; https://dusk.com/blogs/inspiration/don-t-lose-sleep-over-it-the-most-annoying-sleeping-habits-revealed; February 29, 2024.
2. 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
3. AASM; “Over a third of Americans opt for a ‘sleep divorce,’” American Academy of Sleep Medicine; https://aasm.org/over-a-third-americans-opt-sleep-divorce/; July 10, 2023.
