Should You Sleep with Your Pet?
Do you love that warm feeling you get when your furry friend is lying next to you? Do you like that your pet is just within your arm’s reach at night?
Well, it looks like you’re not alone. Based on the survey conducted by Cpap.com, 65% of pet owners share their beds with their pets. However, there are circulating news that sleeping with pets come with disease risks.
All this conflicting information will surely leave you confused. We’re here to tackle both sides of the coin and help you know the real deal. If you want to know if you should sleep with your pet or not, continue reading!
Why We Share Your Bed with Your Pet: The Benefits
Let’s begin with the positive side of the story. Here are some fantastic reasons why it’s good to sleep with your pet:
We feel secure and safe,
The increased feeling of security is one of the main reasons why we love sleeping with our pets. The more secure you feel, the better your sleep will be.
A recent study shows that women who sleep with their beds enjoy quality sleep because their pets make them feel secure and safe.
And less stressed and depressed,
This is another science-backed benefit of sleeping with your pet. Studies show that people who engage in animal-assisted activities reported fewer symptoms of depression than those who didn’t.
It may have something to do with the fact that gazing into your pet’s eyes can boost the flow of oxytocin in our body. Oxytocin is referred to as the love hormone as it’s associated with relaxation, trust, and overall psychological stability.
Which helps us sleep better and more efficiently.
Sleeping with your pets also encourages the production of theta brainwaves, commonly associated with deep relaxation and restful sleep.
Additionally, the results of one experiment showed that people who sleep with their dogs sleep more efficiently.
And may even solve our sleeping problems.
Considering all the other benefits mentioned, sharing your bed with your pet may also help address anxiety-induced insomnia and other sleeping disorders.
Why Sleeping with Your Pet May Not be A Good Idea: The Risks
Now, let’s go to the part you don’t want to hear but have to. Here are the potential health risks of sleeping with your pet.
They may disrupt your sleep,
The more sleepers there are in your bed, the higher chances you may get disruptive sleep. Surveys show that 53% of people claim that their pets interrupt their sleep every night. The most common reason for the sleep disturbance is their pets’ incessant barking or meowing.
And may trigger allergies and asthma,
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America claims that 1/3 of the population may have allergies to cats and dogs.
Or increase your risk of diseases.
According to the CDC, 60% of human pathogens are transmitted by animals. They also shared that around 100 out of the 250 recognized zoonotic diseases come from home pets. Some possible infections you may contract are Cat Scratch Fever, Rabies, Toxoplasmosis, Salmonellosis, Ringworm, and many more.
How to Sleep Better with Your Pet
As they say, they’re always two sides to the equation. We can’t deny the fact that sleeping with your pet comes with both risks and benefits. The key here is to ensure that the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages.
With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to minimize the cons of sharing a bed with your pet:
Invest in the right mattress.
Disruptive sleep is the most significant disadvantage of sleeping with your pet. Fortunately, you can manage all potential pet-related sleep disturbances by using the right mattress.
In addition to ensuring that the mattress is large enough to accommodate all the sleeping pets and humans, you should also choose a mattress with edge support and motion isolation features to minimize sleep disruption.
If you want to know more about how to buy a suitable mattress, check out this twin mattress buying guide from SleepStandards.
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Use a HEPA filter.
This machine can trap pollen, pet dander, and other allergens and is useful in minimizing allergic reactions.
Bring your pet to the vet regularly.
With regular checkups, any potential infection can be addressed immediately.
Make sure your dog gets enough exercise.
In this way, they’ll sleep soundly at night, so it will be less likely that they’ll wake you up in the middle of the night.
Final Words
Should you sleep with your pet? The answer is it depends. If you’re generally a healthy and fit individual and you’ve taken the precautionary measures we mentioned, it’s okay to sleep with your pet.
On the other hand, it’s best for people with medical conditions to avoid sleeping with their pets. This is especially true for people who are immunocompromised and have open wounds, asthma, or allergies. Young children and infants are also not advised to sleep with pets.
