In some households, the family dog or cat is not allowed in the bedroom. But if you have trouble getting a good night’s rest, you may want to reconsider the no pets in the bedroom rule.
A study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that Fido may be the key to getting your snooze on.
The study surveyed 40 adults who slept with their dog in their bed or allowed their dog to sleep somewhere in their bedroom.
The humans and their dogs were outfitted with motion-tracking devices for a total of seven nights. After the study, the humans were asked questions about the quality of sleep they received.
The study found that individuals who let their dogs sleep in their bedroom, but not in their bed, were able to achieve a higher quality of sleep.
They received 83 percent sleep efficiency while those who let their dogs sleep in the bed only achieved a score of 80 percent.
Eighty percent is still considered a satisfactory score, however, people who let their pooch sleep in their bed woke up more often throughout the night than their counterparts who didn’t let Fido in their bed.
“Humans with a single dog in their bedroom maintained good sleep efficiency; however, the dog’s position on/off the bed made a difference,” the study’s conclusion read. “A dog’s presence in the bedroom may not be disruptive to human sleep, as was previously suspected.”
What’s interesting is that human sleep companions did not affect the sleep efficiency of the subjects.
“Presumably, humans accommodate the needs of their bed partner in an effort to promote sleep in a manner that even the most well-trained dog does not,” the paper stated.
Overall, the study found that having a pet sleep in the same room helped one get a good night’s rest. However, having a fidgety pet or multiple pets in the bed or bedroom caused a little disruption to one’s sleep.
“To have a purring cat or a well-behaved dog nearby may be very relaxing and conducive to sleep,” lead author Dr. Lois Krahnshe said. “Provided everyone sleeps well, it can be a benefit.”
So, if you need a to convince your partner to let your dog or cat into the bedroom you can use the Mayo Clinic’s study in your argument. However, researchers say that you shouldn’t let your loyalty to your pet get in the way of a good night’s sleep.
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