Trust your instincts and prioritize the quality of your sleep and the well-being of your beloved companion.
The debate about whether or not people should sleep with their dogs has been going on for quite some time. On one side are those who claim that having a dog or cat in bed is unhygienic and disrupts sleep quality.
It has long been debated whether people should put their pets in bed with them. Some people argue that sleeping with a dog or cat is unhygienic, others argue that it is more difficult to get a good night’s rest.
You might be asking, “Should I let my dog ​​sleep on my bed?” in light of all these ambiguities.
Despite the complaints of others, you might already be letting your pet sleep with you, or you might be debating whether you should. Pet owners are happy to find that cuddling with their dog at night has various benefits, although sharing a bed with an animal has its pros and cons.
When your dog sleeps with you, you can feel calm and safe, and it will also help you relax and get better quality sleep. In addition, sharing a bed with your pet can deepen your attachment to that animal. Check out these amazing benefits of sleeping with your pet:
It might be able to reduce depression
Research from 2015 found that those who participated in animal-assisted activities (i.e., activities with a dog as opposed to by themselves) experienced fewer depressive symptoms.
But how do dogs influence people so much? A Japanese study found that interacting with our pets can increase the “love hormone” oxytocin. In general, the more oxytocin you have in your body, the happier and less sad you are.
So sleeping with a dog is likely to make you happy if doing things with it makes you happy.
There’s a chance it will trigger more theta brain waves.
Deep meditation and REM sleep produce theta brain waves, which are characterized by a state of mental calmness. These brain waves also occur when people dream, run, shower, or engage in any other automatic, repetitive action. People are free to think when that happens, and that’s when they usually come up with amazing solutions to problems.
Pet owners’ oxytocin levels increase when they are with their dogs, which promotes theta brain waves and improves their sleep quality.
It might be able to help with insomnia
Insomnia can be caused by a medical problem, but it is usually caused by worry and anxiety. According to research, sleeping with a pet can be beneficial for people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nightmares, narcolepsy, parasomnias, and other sleep disorders.
Pets help people feel less anxious and safer, which reduces hyperarousal and hypervigilance and makes it easier for people to fall asleep. People with PTSD who have insomnia have also been shown to be affected by it.
This could help you get a better night’s sleep.
A 2017 study tracked the behavior of dogs and their owners over seven nights. The goal was to evaluate the efficiency of human and animal sleep and give each group a score out of 100. Bed sleep efficiency refers to how much time you actually spend dozing.
Co-sleeping arrangements have been shown to be beneficial for people and their pets in a study. Study participants slept an average of 81 percent of the time, while their canine counterparts slept an average of 85 percent of the time. A good score is one that is 80 or higher. However, the researchers found that people slept more soundly when the dog was in the room, but not on the bed.
This can lower blood pressure.
Contact with dogs has several positive effects on humans, including better cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that interactions between humans and dogs, such as cuddling, can lower blood pressure.
Most people seem to find dogs to be a relaxing presence, so having a dog sleeping next to you all night is likely to have the same effect.
It might be able to relieve stress
The “Pet Effect” refers to the soothing feeling you get from petting your dog. In a survey of pet owners, 74% of participants reported that having a pet had benefited their mental health.
This is related to the increase in oxytocin that pet owners feel when they are with their animals. By reducing your anxiety, sleeping next to your dog or cat can improve the quality of your sleep.
It can help allergy sufferers later in life.
If your children are old enough and not in danger, letting your dog sleep with them at night can do wonders for their immune systems. A 2004 study found that young people who grew up with pets had fewer allergies as they got older.
Not everyone should have a pet to sleep with
If you already suffer from allergies, sleeping with your pet can make them worse and make it harder for you to get a good night’s rest.
In addition, not all dogs are comfortable roommates. This is because dogs experience three sleep/wake cycles every hour of the night, as they are polyphasic sleepers. However, humans are monophasic, meaning we only sleep once every twenty-four hours. Dogs can also have trouble falling asleep, making them more prone to being startled by noise.
A well-behaved and well-adjusted dog probably won’t keep you up regularly at night, but if your dog is hyperactive or keeps you up regularly, it might be time to find him a better sleeper. place.
Despite these disadvantages, research seems to indicate a number of advantages that seem to outweigh the disadvantages for many pet owners. So it wouldn’t hurt to try letting Fido lie on your bed at night if you’re thinking about it, and if you’re already doing it every day, research suggests you can continue to do so.
Every pet-owner relationship is unique and what works for one may not work for another. Trust your instincts and prioritize the quality of your sleep and the well-being of your beloved companion. With proper consideration and care, sharing a bed with a dog can be a rewarding and mutually beneficial experience.