Women Sleep Better Next To Dogs Than Men – Here’s Why
Ah, cosleeping, which depending on the night — can be a blessing or a curse. We've all probably shared a bed with someone in our lifetime, whether it be a friend, a significant other, or a pet.
According to a new study, the best co-sleepers aren't humans, but pets! Our bed usually has AT LEAST two dogs in it (and sometimes a kid) but I know that some people don't let their dogs in their beds, so to each their own.
Sharing A Bed
Sharing a bed is very intimate and romantic, and research has proven that it actually has lots of benefits for your health AND for your relationship, which makes it a double whammy.
Sharing a bed means being together, being close, and feeling lots of warmth. But, it can also mean having your blankets stolen, being kicked off the bed, or feeling uncomfortable and hot at times.
Lots Of People Share Their Beds With Their Pets
Animals like beds for the same reasons we do! They're soft, warm, and cozy to sleep in.
If you have ever been a pet owner to a cat or a dog, chances are that your little guy or girl has tried to sneak into your bed once or twice.
The Study
In 2018, this study was published in Anthrozoös - a journal that studies the interactions of people and animals.
The study focused on bedsharing and examined adult women's sleep quality and sleep routines in relation to pet ownership.
Participants
The researchers collected survey data online from 962 different adult women living in the United States.
Most of the participants were pet owners of dogs or cats and a whopping 7% of participants didn't report having any pets.
So, Who Do Women Best Sleep With? Hint — It's Not Their Partners
57% of participants shared their bed with a human partner, so most people weren't single.
In addition to this, fifty-five percent of participants shared their bed with at least one dog and 31% with at least one cat.
Why Do Dogs Make The Best Co-Sleepers?
Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner's bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security.
Also, on a side note, dogs help with routine as dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake times than cat owners.
Does Having A Pet In your Bed Make You Sleep Better?
Not necessarily! The findings did not show a strong relationship between pet ownership status or bedsharing conditions and actual sleep quality, as this would require monitoring sleep.
Dogs make for better co-sleepers simply because they tend to wake up less, which means they're less disruptive, (husbands, take notes).
Does Breed Matter?
The study didn't take this into account, so I guess we will never know which dogs are the coziest to curl up with.
Although it's a safe assumption that a big dog like a chocolate lab is cozier than a smaller dog, but also takes up WAY more space on the bed.
How About Cat Owners?
Respondents generally said that sharing the bed with a cat was about as disruptive as sharing with a human.
Dogs tend to just go to sleep through the entire night like us, while cats are nocturnal and are more active during the night.
Would Results Be Different If They Asked Men
It would be interesting to see the data, but I don't know if the results would be very different.
In my opinion, dogs are pretty much the BEST sleep partner: calm, restful, and warm. Plus they don't annoyingly wake you up to ask you why you're hogging all of the blankets!
