People Who Let Their Dog Sleep In Bed With Them Usually Experience 6 Scientifically Proven Benefits
cottonbro studio / Pexels According to a 2015 study from the Mayo Clinic, 56% of pet owners let their pets sleep in the bedroom with them. That's because dog owners know that spending time with their four-legged bestie can make them feel better almost instantly.
If just petting our pups makes us feel calm and full of love, why wouldn't we sleep with them too? While we often hear about reasons to keep our dogs off our beds, it turns out that letting our pets snuggle up with us at night has many positive effects.
Here are 6 scientifically proven benefits of letting your dog sleep with you:
1. They provide comfort
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It can be hard to fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night, especially when our minds start to race and our anxiety surges. If you suffer from PTSD, this can be extreme. New research, piloted by Dr. Robert Hewings at Bravehound, a UK-based charity supporting veterans with service dogs, suggests that dogs may be skilled at detecting nightmares, helping anyone who struggles with anxiety and sleep disorders.
By sensing chemical changes such as elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels in sweat, dogs can recognize the onset of a nightmare and offer comfort. If they can do it in extreme cases, why not just for everyday stressors and anxieties?
Feeling a dog's perfect, furry little body beside us offers immediate comfort. Those 1 a.m. cuddle sessions can help ease us back to sleep, as knowing that our dogs are nearby gives us a sense of safety and security.
2. They boost your mental and emotional health
Owning a dog can boost your mental health in a major way, easing anxiety and decreasing loneliness. Studies have shown that being with a dog increases oxytocin in adults. Also known as “the love hormone.”
A surge of oxytocin makes us feel happy and at peace. For children, being around dogs can reduce their cortisol levels, which control how stressed they might feel.
Since physical touch is such a big part of how we interact with our pups, snuggling up while we sleep boosts the benefits we get from petting our dogs throughout the night.
3. They strengthen our immune system
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Living with a canine companion influences the types of bacteria that are found in your home. It’s been hypothesized that being exposed to a wide range of microorganisms can benefit our health and strengthen our immunity.
It’s possible that sleeping next to your dog makes your immune system stronger, as your exposure to their microorganisms increases. A dog’s presence in the home can also have an effect on the way babies' and children’s immune systems develop.
Being around dogs (and cats) during the first year of life can reduce the likelihood of developing animal allergies, along with certain environmental allergies, like dust mites and ragweed.
4. They improve our physical health
Dogs have a direct impact on our physical health, including helping to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and relaxing tense muscles.
A study from 2019 even found that owning a dog is correlated with a reduced risk of death, due to the positive effects they impart on people’s cardiovascular systems. Sleeping with your dog can extend these benefits, as you get even more time to pet their soft, little bellies.
5. Sleeping together strengthens your bond
Because dogs are pack animals, sleeping with their person comes naturally to them. Sleeping together is a way to strengthen the bond between you and your pup even more.
Dr. Dana Varble, the chief veterinary officer for the North American Veterinary Community, told CNN that dogs who are allowed to sleep in bed maintain a “higher trust level and a tighter bond with the humans that are in their lives.” She added, “It’s a big display of trust on their part."
If you want to increase the connection you have with your dog, nightly sleepovers can certainly do the trick.
6. It improves your dog's behavior
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Being together gives our furry friends the same oxytocin boost we get. When we pet our pups, they feel as calm, loved, and happy as we do.
If your dog shows signs of being stressed out or anxious, letting them sleep next to you can soothe their nervous system, leading to less anxious behavior during the day.
If you decide to share your bed with your dog, there are various things you can do to make it the best experience for both of you.
Walking your dog before bedtime can burn off their extra energy, which means fewer sleepytime disruptions for you. Keeping a consistent bedtime routine is also important, as is washing your sheets regularly.
While your dog might steal the covers or sleep with their head on your pillow, sharing your bed can help you both feel calm and connected to each other, which is what every dog owner wants.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
