Sleeping with pet in bed affects quality of sleep

Washington DC: Dear dog lovers, sleeping with your pet in same bedroom is fine, but snuggling up with your pups in the same bed may affect your sleep quality, warns a new study.

According to researchers, do not let your canines crawl under the covers with you. The sleep benefit extends only to having dogs in your bedroom, not in your bed, as adults who snuggled up to their pups in bed sacrificed quality sleep.

Lead author Lois Krahn from Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus said that most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption.

"We found that many people actually find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets," Krahn added.

The study evaluated the sleep of 40 healthy adults without sleep disorders and their dogs over five months.

The participant and their dogs wore activity trackers to track their sleeping habits for seven nights.

The findings indicated that sleeping with dogs helped some people sleep better -- no matter if they are snoozing with a small schnauzer or dozing with a Great Dane.

"The relationship between people and their pets has changed over time, which is likely why many people in fact do sleep with their pets in the bedroom," said Dr Krahn.

"Today, many pet owners are away from their pets for much of the day, so they want to maximize their time with them when they are home. Having them in the bedroom at night is an easy way to do that. And, now, pet owners can find comfort knowing it won't negatively impact their sleep," she added.