Sleeping with a dog in bed is actually better than sharing one with your partner, says study

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve needed to justify sharing a bed with your dog, then we have excellent news for you.

Metro reports that new research has found that sleeping with a dog in your bed is actually good for you.

In fact, it’s better than sharing a bed with a human. According to a study conducted by Christy L. Hoffman, from Canisius College in New York, the sleeping patterns of our four-legged friends closely mirror those of humans.

The study spoke to 962 women across the US, 55% of which shared the bed with at least one dog, while 57% shared the bed with a human partner and 31% shared the bed with at least one cat.

Dogs were found to be less disruptive to sleep than both human partners and cats – which makes sense when you think about the battles some partners face with duvet hogging. This means individuals who sleep next to dogs instead of cats are able to stick to a stricter sleep schedule – so sleep better.

Canines also scored higher for comfort and security in comparison to cats and other humans, with participants reporting that bed-sleeping cats are just as disruptive as human partners. What’s more, dog owners reported earlier sleep and wake times than cat owners and participants without pets. So not only are dogs soft and warm to cuddle up to, but they actually help with our sleep health, too.

The scientists behind the study commented: ‘Dog ownership and its associated responsibilities may cause individuals to adhere to a stricter routine. Keeping to a consistent sleep schedule may be beneficial to dog owners.’

It looks like the dog hairs on the bed are worth it after all.

(Story source: Metro)