Snuggles With Pets Might Boost Sleep Quality Reveals a New Study.

Sharing a bed with your pets isn’t a problem anymore? 

The newly conducted study suggests otherwise. You can snuggle up to your pets and have a cozy nap, because according to a new study, sleeping with your pet gives you a better sleep quality.

The research documents that sleeping with pets might help to boost one’s sleep quality and improve sleep patterns. However, the shocking conclusion the research reached was that sleeping with felines might be much better than cuddling with a man’s best friend. (bad news, dog lovers). 

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Every pet is known to make themselves a part of our lives, and into our beds and blankets leaving fur and paw print to mark their territory.

From man’s best friend to the nonchalant purring judging cats, they know their sleeping spots. For unconditional love, we too love to sleep with our pets who unintentionally give us emotional support.

Alas, the study claims a new theory that sleeping with your cats might give one a good night’s sleep rather than with a dog.  The 2024 Scientific Report Study states that sleeping with your dog can cause problems regarding sleep quality, as this lack for people owning cats. 

What does the study arrive at?

The 2024 report study mainly focused on the sleeping patterns of people with pets and how much of an impact a pet may have on their owner. Using a questionnaire, they analyzed the sleeping pattern based on the bond between the pet and the owner including co-sleeping, number of pets and type of pets.

The study head Dr. Brian N Chin observed that in America, individuals between 18- 91 admit to co-sleeping with their pets. For more briefing, he clarifies “co-sleeping” as room sharing, not especially bed-sharing.

The research analyzes the gains and losses of co-sleeping with one’s pets for human characteristics and behavior patterns, stating that pets provide a psychological sense of intimacy, comfort and security to humans and thus co-sleeping impacts their mental health as well.  

The study also analyzes that since pets establish themselves as social zeitgebers (mood changers), this helps with a productivity routine within humans.

Why is sleep quality better with cats than with dogs?

As mentioned by Dr. Chin, the study aimed at examining human sleep characteristics using pets.

The study showcased co-sleeping with pets was associated with individuals’ poor sleeping characteristics, mainly bad sleep quality and increased insomnia severity. Along with this result, they also arrived at another statement that the impact of sleep patterns was mainly happening to individuals with dogs but not cat owners.

Based on the drawbacks such as lack of continuous sleep, nighttime noise or movement directed towards dogs thus resulting in monophasic sleep patterns.

The research compares previously conducted studies which stated that co-sleeping with a pet may have a negative impact and suffer from daytime tiredness. Whereas, another study stated that individuals co-sleeping with pets did not differ from non-pet owners.

The reason cats are a better option for co-sleeping still isn’t resolved as the outcome was just a contribution to the study’s actual aim, the direct and stress-buffering effects of co-sleeping with pets.

In conclusion, it doesn’t bother a pet parent if it’s a cat or a dog. If they are getting a healthy amount of sleep, there is no need for change.