Study Finds Women Sleep Better Next to Dogs Than Beside Other Humans
Snuggle up, pup.
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If you had a great night’s sleep and you are trying to recreate that wonderful slumber night after night, it might not have anything to do with the temperature of your room or what you sleep in. Turns out, great sleep is all about who you share your bed with -- that is, if your bed partner is your dog.
According to a new study, women can catch better shut-eye when they are cuddled up next to their dogs and not next to their human partners. So to get a better night’s sleep, it’s the couch for your honey and a snuggle-fest for your pup.
For the study, researchers from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, surveyed more than 960 women. Of the women who participated in the study, 55 percent shared the bed with at least one dog and 57 percent of the women shared the bed with a human partner. Also, 31 percent of the women shared the bed with at least one cat. What they found was the women were less likely to have their sleep disrupted by their dogs. They found that their human partners and cats were often a constant reason the women were waking up at night.
“Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner’s bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security,” the study reads.
However, the same can not be said for other humans and cats. Sorry, cat owners. “Conversely, cats who slept in their owner’s bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners.”
It was also noted that dog owners had early bedtimes, which could help with better sleep at night. “Dog ownership and its associated responsibilities may cause individuals to adhere to a stricter routine,” researchers said. “Keeping to a consistent sleep schedule may be beneficial to dog owners.”
However, researchers noted that further studies need to be done to fully understand how our pets impact our sleep. Until then, we hope you and your dog catch a few quality Zzzs tonight.
