It is estimated that one-third of homes in the United States have dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Over 50% reported allowing their pets in their bedrooms at night when they sleep and 40% said that they believe their pets help them sleep better. Even some children are sleeping with their dogs.
However, there is a long-held belief that children who sleep with their dogs have lower sleep quality compared to those children sleeping alone. This is because pets take up space, noisy when scratching, and could trigger allergies that disrupt sleep.
But a new study, entitled "The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime: The effects of pet-human co-sleeping and bedsharing on sleep dimensions of children and adolescents" published in the journal Sleep Health, showed that sleeping with pets do not appear to be disruptive to kids' sleep quality.
1 Out of 3 Children Co-Sleeping With Their Pets
The study started as a serendipitous event when the researchers were asking parents and children about their hygiene habits when going to sleep, Science Daily reported.
When asked whether they sleep with their pets, like a dog, researchers were surprised to know that 1 out of 3 children answered that they sleep with their pets. That led them to look at related literature on the effect of co-sleeping with pets on sleep quality.
Researchers divided the children into three groups on how often they sleep with their dogs: never, sometimes, and frequent. Then compared them across various range of sleep measurements to see if they have any significant differences.
Psychology professor Jennifer McGrath said that their findings showed the three groups were generally similar in the amount of sleep, how long it took for children to sleep, nighttime awakenings, and sleep quality.
"The findings suggest that the presence of a pet had no negative impact on sleep," Ph.D. student Hillary Rowe said according to Science Daily. "Indeed, we found that children who slept with their pets most often reported higher perceived sleep quality, especially among adolescents."
Rowe thinks that children consider their pets as their friends and therefore derive comfort when sleeping with them. The findings also add to the knowledge of how to improve the technology that measures help.
Benefits of Sleeping With Dogs
Pets benefit a lot from humans and vice versa. According to Healthline, sleeping with dogs or pets could have some benefits.
For instance, it could help improve sleep quality. Some people report having a good night's sleep when they sleep with their dogs and not so when they are not with their pets.
Additionally, the study "An Examination of Adult Women's Sleep Quality and Sleep Routines in Relation to Pet Ownership and Bedsharing" showed that dogs in bed are less disruptive to sleep compared to cats.
Moreover, it also provides comfort and security than when sleeping with another human or a cat. This is especially true when sleeping alone or when separated from the dog most of the day.
Lastly, pets help relieve stress and anxiety as they foster social and emotional connections that may affect mood and overall mental health. Studies show that human-animal interactions could benefit stress-related factors like cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure.
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