Should you be sharing your bed with your dog?

Dog owners are crazy about their pets.  Up to two-thirds of people consider their pooch to be part of the family.  Almost 43 million Americans have at least one dog and 50% of them are also crazy enough to allow fido to sleep in bed with them or in their bedroom.  Is this a good idea or not? Can it be actually be beneficial to your health or health harming?

The decision to allow your pet to sleep in bed with you is very personal.  Anyone who chooses to do so should be prepared for at least one well-meaning person providing unsolicited advice on the downsides of co-sleeping with a dog.  Usually the fear is based on disruption of sleep or a transfer of a disease or pests.  But if someone does bring this up, a study from the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona could lay those fears to rest. This scientific-backed research has shown the many benefits of bringing your dog to bed with you at night.

The research included 40 healthy adults with dogs, all of whom slept with their pet either in their bed or somewhere else in the room.  For one week, both the people and their pets wore activity tracers to monitor their sleeping habits.

What the study found was that sleeping in the same room with your pet does not appear to affect sleep quality.  If anything, it could lead to a more restful night.  However, that benefit did not extend to people who actually shared their bed with their pet.  The study found that when snuggling up to your Chihuahua or Great Dane, sleep quality was sacrificed.  Previous studies have shown that owners sharing a bed with their pet do report greater sleep disturbances than people whose pets did not sleep with their dogs.  One reason for this difference is that dogs are polyphasic sleepers and average three sleep/wake cycles each night.  Humans are monophasic sleepers meaning we have one period of sleep over a 24-hour cycle.  Dogs also are alert for sounds, even when sleeping, making them lighter sleepers than humans.

Even though co-sleeping with dogs has been a common practice in different cultures, it has not been as prevalent in the past as it is today.  Part of the reason seems to be many pet owners are gone for long hours during the day away from their pets so to maximize time spent with them, they choose to bring their dog into their bedroom at night. 

Here are some reasons why allowing your dog into your bedroom at night could be a win-win for both of you:

·      Many people allowing their dog(s) to at least sleep on the floor of their bedroom find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping near their pets.  Dogs can alert you to anything out of the ordinary helping you rest easy through the night.

·      Co-sleeping can increase the feeling of comfort and companionship your dog provides.

·      Feelings of anxiety are often reduced by having a dog in your bedroom. 

·      Dogs make efficient bed warmers as their body temperature is three to six degrees higher than humans.  

·      For some people, dogs help them to relax.  A dog’s rhythmic breathing when one lies next to you, can help lull you to sleep. 

·      Being near a dog increases our flow of oxytocin, a hormone associated with affection and happiness.

However, there are few concerns to take into consideration before bringing your dog into your bed:

·      There is the possibility of separation anxiety if you allow a dog to sleep in your bed or bedroom.

·      Sleep disturbance can become a problem for some if their dog tends to wake them up at least once or any given night. 

·      If a dog is showing any signs of aggression or other problem behavior that appears to be getting worse with co-sleeping, provide them with their own sleeping space and consult with a professional dog trainer.

·      Anyone allergic to dogs or has other allergies should not have a dog in their bedroom.