Can Having a Pet Help You Sleep Better?
It’s no secret that having an animal companion can have benefits for your mental well-being, but does that include sharing a bed with them? Gone are the old days of making your fido sleep outside in a dog house in your backyard. While it’s been proven that outdoor dogs are less happy, it might as well be a two-way street, because according to multiple studies conducted by experts, keeping your dog or cat (even pigs!) indoors and even on your luxurious San Diego mattress may be in your best interest, as well.
According to Dr. Dana Varble from the North American Veterinary Community, “it is a very good thing for animals to sleep with their people.” When asked a similar question, “is sleeping with owners good for pets?”, Dr. Varble responds with the same positive answer, “I love that we are reversing the question. In general, it is a very good thing for animals to sleep with their people.” She continues to elaborate how pets that share a bed with their owners develop more trust and stronger relationships with them, “Dogs and cats who are more closely bonded with their humans get additional health benefits, including increases in beneficial neurotransmitters such as oxytocin and dopamine, the feel-good hormones.”
You may feel hesitant to allow your pet to share the bed you got from one of the best San Diego mattress stores around, wondering if it’s sanitary or even safe because previously, professionals advised against it claiming it could encourage bad behavior in a pet or even worse, make owners sick. However, Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a veterinarian small animal internal medicine and oncology (a specific branch of medicine devoted to treating cancer), claims that sleeping with your furry friend is a part of an “important ritual” for many pet owners, “It doesn’t need to be avoided if both pet and owner are healthy.”
Sleeping with pets can also be beneficial to children as long as they are over the age of 6 years. Scientists at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada conducted a study with 188 children ranging from age 11 through 17 years, discovering that children who often slept with their family pets slept better than those who didn’t, “children view their pets as close friends and seek comfort from them when trying to sleep”, the research claimed. It is not unheard of for kids to do this either, as 18.1% of children reported that they sleep with their pets “frequently.”
Another very surprising study conducted by experts from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York with 962 female participants found that women sleep better with their dogs than they do with their boyfriends or their husbands! Sorry to break it to you, gentlemen, but most of the ladies who slept with their dogs were found to have an easier time early to bed and early to rise. They say the early worm catches the worm, or in this case, the squeak toy?
If you are an animal lover, this is of course great news to receive, but what if you could upgrade your comfort level even further? With the help of our top-notch San Diego mattresses, we can help you achieve the best quality of sleep for you and your esteemed fido.
