13 Jun Snuggling with Pets – Sweet Dreams or Sleepless Nights?
Whether it be when we are playing with them or just looking for something to cuddle, pets are a source of warmth and comfort for many of us. A lot of pet owners bring their pets everywhere, including when they are going to sleep. In Chin et al.’ study (2024), 758 participants out of 1591 slept with their pets. This study aimed to observe the effect of co-sleeping with pets on sleep quality. Sleep quality was assessed via the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which is a survey aimed to quantify subjective sleep quality.
It was found that participants who said that they slept with their pets reported poorer sleep quality. Diving into different pet types, it was found that participants who co-slept with dogs had a significantly worse perceived sleep quality than those who did not. Interestingly, there was so statistically significant difference in the perceived sleep quality of participants who co-slept with cats and those who did not. However, between those two groups, it was observed that participants who co-slept with their cats had an increased perceived sleep efficiency. This means that of the time that they were trying to sleep, participants who co-slept with their cats felt that they slept for a longer proportion of the time.
The results of this study suggest that co-sleeping with pets, while very comfortable, may be detrimental to your sleep. It is important to note that these findings are correlative, meaning that it does not show that sleeping with pets causes decreased sleep quality. However, it does shed light on a topic which requires further investigation. Nevertheless, it certainly gives us something to keep in mind when we’re deciding whether or not to invite our furry friends into our bed at night.
References:
Chin, B.N., Singh, T. & Carothers, A.S. Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Sci Rep 14, 5577 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56055-9