Dear ladies, science says you may have a higher chance of getting a good night’s sleep snuggled up with your dog, rather than your partner.
Dogs are our best friends and seems they can also be great sleep partners if they have a lady owner.
According to Canisius College research, women will benefit more from sleeping next to a dog rather than next to their human partner.
Ladies, Snuggle Up with Your Dog for a Quality Sleep
Christy Hoffman, PhD, animal behaviorist and lead researcher of the study explains that they concluded that women often rate dogs as better bed partners than their human partners or cats.
They also reported their dogs helping them better their sleep quality.
For the purposes of the study, Hoffman researched the influence of pets on human sleep quality with the data she collected from around 1000 women throughout the US.
She also discovered the potential reasons why dogs are quality sleep partners.
Why Are Dogs Better Sleep Partners for Women than their Partners?
According to Hoffman, the sleep patterns of dogs, not cats, are more similar to that of humans.
She explains that the distinction between cats and dogs isn’t surprising because dogs’ sleeping periods are closer to that of humans.
She also speculates that dogs may be better in adjusting to their humans’ sleep schedule than human bed partners.
Often times, human bed partners go to bed at different times and wake up at different times. These differences surely disrupt their sleep quality. So, dogs may be better in adjusting to their owner’s sleep schedule.
Moreover, Hoffman notes that the dogs who slept in the bed with their owners were less problematic for sleep than the human partners and cats.
Those who slept with a dog said that their dog is on the bed most of the night unlike those who slept with a cat. They reported the cat spending less of the night on the bed.
Hence, the cats may be likelier to cause disruptions by moving on and off the bed at night.
The research emphasizes that the dog owners had a more consistent schedule of sleep than those with a cat. The ones with dogs actually went to bed earlier and woke up earlier.
A feeling of security may be another reason why humans may benefit from sharing a bed with dogs. Some dog owners find comfort in knowing their dog will certainly alert them if there’s an intruder or another emergency.
Also, the dog’s bark may deter a potential intruder whereas a cat is less likely to do this and may not have the same psychological comfort to offer as dogs do.
In fact, the participants linked cats with less comfort and security than their human partners and dogs.
Does this Mean We Should Kick Out Cats from Our Beds & Welcome Dogs?
Though many of the study’s participants reported a positive effect of dogs on their sleep, Hoffman notes that there are numerous variations in people and that their pets which may affect how they influence each other’s sleep.
Namely, if a dog snores loudly or is very heat-radiating during summer may not be as good for sleep quality as some cats.
Hoffman concludes that the researcher is based on the individual perceptions of the participants on their dogs’ influence.
She suggests follow-up research may suggest that dogs are responsible for some night awakenings despite people reporting their dogs improve their sleep.
This is because we often experience sleep disruptions that we don’t remember the next morning.
If you’re worried about germs from sleeping with your dog in the bed, Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and host of the Super Awesome Science Show says you shouldn’t.
He adds that unless our canine friend is ill or has diarrhea, there aren’t any issues with germs. One study actually discovered that a human and a dog that live together may share more similar microbes than two humans sharing a bed and space.
Of course, Tetro recommends washing your sheets more often because they’ll tend to go smellier fast or you’ll spot more hairs. But, we should always wash our sheets regularly anyway, right?
Sources:
