Can Pets Help You Sleep?
That might sound like a silly question, but believe it or not, when they’re not snoring loudly, taking up way more than their fair share of the bed or generally making a nuisance of themselves, sharing a bed with a pet can be beneficial. However, the practice also carries a few potential health risks.
These are the benefits of letting your furry best mate sleep with you on your bed along with a few tips to help you do it safely and healthily.
The science-backed benefits of sleeping with your pets
Scientific studies have revealed a whole host of different reasons why sleeping with your pets can be beneficial. Most of the research has looked at the benefits of co-sleeping with dogs, mainly because cats are nocturnal and often prefer to play rather than sleep.
Here’s why sleeping with your pets can be a good thing:
Reduce Depression
Your dog is essentially a living antidepressant. Studies have shown that performing activities and simply interacting with a dog can treat depression, so imagine what sleeping with them can do. Their closeness increases the production of oxytocin, the so-called ‘love chemical’, and serotonin. In turn, that reduces levels of stress, lowers blood pressure and increases positive emotions.
Sleep more deeply
Oxytocin also has a profound impact on how deeply we sleep. The chemicals that are released when we sleep with our pets promote theta brainwaves, which occur during the REM stage of sleep. Studies have even found that the heartbeats of dogs and their owners synch up while you sleep. That’s further evidence of the calming effect your pooch can have on your brain.
Ease insomnia
There’s nothing worse than lying awake at night with anxiety-induced insomnia, but believe it or not, your pup can help with that, too. Studies show that having a dog in bed next to you can reduce hyperarousal and hypervigilance and mitigate anxiety, all of which put you in the perfect mood for slumber.
Improve your sleep efficiency
Sleep efficiency measures how much of the time you spend in bed that you’re actually asleep. One study found that people with a dog in their bedroom kept a better routine and slept more efficiently. Annoyingly though, dogs are more efficient sleepers than we are, with 85% sleep efficiency compared to our 81%.
How to sleep with your pet safely
Now we’ve established that sleeping with pets can be beneficial, it’s time to establish a few ground rules. And if you’re a light sleeper or you have allergies, you may find that sleeping with your pet does more harm than good.
Here are a few ground rules:
Keep your pet above the covers - Teaching your pet to sleep above the covers and at your feet will help to reduce some of the downsides such as allergens and a dirty bed.
Give your dog an area of your bed to sleep in - Whether you prefer them on your bed or in their own bed next to you, make it clear where they are and are not allowed to sleep.
Avoid any accidents - The last thing you want is for your dog to have an accident on your bed, so take them out just before bedtime and as soon as you wake up.
Keep your pet clean - Keeping your pet clean and smelling fresh will reduce the allergens and help you get a good night’s sleep.
Don’t tolerate any nonsense - Make sure your dog knows the bed is for sleeping in. If they’re aggressive or overly playful, take them downstairs.
Use a mattress protector - A water, dirt and allergy-resistant mattress protector will help your mattress withstand your four-legged friend.
Want to know more? Then book your free consultation call with me or one of my team. We’d love to hear more about your sleep issues and talk about how we can help.
Sweet dreams to both of you,
Claudine x
