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Is Sleeping With Your Pet Good For Your Health?

Is Sleeping With Your Pet Good For Your Health?

Some say yes, others say no. It goes back and forth as to whether or not we should have our fur babies sleep in bed with us.

Some researchers advise against it, saying the quality of sleep tends to be poor among those who have their pet in bed with them, mainly because it can be disruptive and cause you to wake up multiple times during the night.

But according to a Mayo Clinic study, allowing your pet to sleep in bed with you might not be as detrimental to your sleep as some thought.

Although the study was small and did not contain a control group, out of the 40 participants not one displayed a less than satisfactory sleep efficiency, according to Time.com.

The study looked at those who allowed their pet into their bed at night, and those who had their pet in their room but did not share a bed.

On average, those who were in the same room as their pet showed a sleep efficiency of 83 percent, with 80 percent being satisfactory.

And for those who allowed Fido into bed with them, they showed a sleep efficiency of 80 percent, however it is worth noting for those who shared a bed, they woke up more throughout the night than those who had their furry friend elsewhere in the room.

The study did not take into account dog size or breed, and most participants were heathy middle-aged women. Yet despite the findings researchers still caution against sharing a bed with your pet during the night.

Overall, humans tend to sleep better with another human as we adjust our sleep patterns to that of our partner. But when it comes to sharing a bed with our pet that adjustment is not made, and many might find the disturbances throughout the night are enough to interfer with a restful night’s sleep.

Overall, researchers suggest those who allow their pet in the same room with them but not into bed might sleep better because the pet brings comfort in knowing they are there.

So, should you allow your pet to sleep with you? That’s really up to you. While some might still agree it’s not the best idea, most will say simply having their presence in the room is sufficient enough.

Plus, when the pets were monitored, no placement of where they slept indicated a more restful night’s sleep. They slept just fine no matter where in the house they were.

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