Dog-lovers, it’s time to rejoice. Dr. Christy L. Hoffman, a professor in the Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation department at Canisius College, and her research team conducted a study on the effect that pets have on human sleep. They found that women report sleeping better when next to their dog than their partner.
(Study Finds that Owning a Dog Can Prevent Early Death)
The study surveyed 962 women in the United States. Of all the participants 55% reported sharing their bed with at least 1 dog, 31% with at least 1 cat, and 57% with a human partner. Hoffman caveats that while “findings did not show a strong relationship between pet ownership status or bedsharing conditions and sleep quality,” it did consider bedsharing to “affect sleep habits and perceptions of sleep quality.”
Dogs, in particular, were discovered to be especially good bedmates. Their owners reported having earlier bedtimes and wake times as compared to those with cats. Dogs are also believed to provide “stronger feelings of comfort and security” while disturbing their sleep less than a human partner. In all, women who sleep next to their dogs are considered to have better, restful sleep.
Cats, on the other hand, are perceived to be as disruptive as humans during sleep while also giving weaker feelings of comfort and security. Human bed partners similarly offered less comfort and security than dogs do.
Hoffman told Broadly that the “keyword here is perception, this [study is based on] individuals self-reporting how they feel their sleep is affected” and it’s “important to note that this is based on aggregated data and an average of responses, so getting a dog won’t solve everyone’s sleep problems.” `
But don’t just jump on getting a puppy because of this. Caring and looking after a dog is a huge responsibility and shouldn’t be done just to get a good night’s sleep. Being a pet-parent is a hard job, after all. Best to make sure you’re up for it before anything else!
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