Man’s best friend, Sleep’s worst friend
Love having your dog in the bed while you sleep? Sadly, your furry friend might be doing more harm then good when it comes to your sleep quality. Studies have shown that 35% of children and 56% of adults sleep with their pets by their side. With such a large portion of the population participating in this trend, how can it interfere with our quality of sleep?
A study in 2024 concluded that co-sleeping with pets was associated with higher insomnia severity and poorer perceived quality of sleep. This effect was seen more prominently in dog owners and less in cats. Unsurprisingly, the greater the number of pets, the greater the impact on sleep quality (Chin et al, 2024). These findings are corroborated by a 2025 study by B Lancaster, which further illustrated a decreased length of sleep, lower sleep efficiency and greater time required to fall asleep. Lancaster gave us a valuable contrast between sleeping with pets in bed vs pets in the room. This demonstrated that more restlessness and shorter sleep duration in those who slept with pets in bed (Lancaster et al, 2025).
It’s not all negative, the comfort, security, reduction of stress and wellness benefits all contribute to a better night’s sleep. With studies showing that owning a dog is correlated to a decreased risk of death. Both lower blood pressure and lower heart rate was found in populations owning dogs (Summer & Cotliar, 2025). So, while the impact on sleep is a factor, the benefits of having dogs around are substantial.
With both benefits to wellness and negatives to sleep, the potential sleep location for our K9’s is up for debate. While the evidence for better sleep is against having your dog sleep with you, the comfort of having your favorite furry friend by your side may be worth the lost sleep.
References:
Lancaster BD, Hefner T, Van Allen J. Co-Sleeping with a pet: exploring the impact on youth sleep. J Pediatr Psychol. 2025 Apr 1;50(4):377-386. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf016. PMID: 40084993; PMCID: PMC12013814.
Chin BN, Singh T, Carothers AS. Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 6;14(1):5577. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-56055-9. PMID: 38448628; PMCID: PMC10918166.
Summer J, Cotliar D. Sleeping with Pets. Sleep Doctor. Sleep foundation. 2025. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/animals-and-sleep/sleeping-with-pets
