What About Sleeping With Your Pet?

October 27, 2020
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Sleeping with your pets sounds like a great idea in theory. A living, breathing cushion that cuddles you back and doesn’t complain about your snoring sounds alright! There are a lot of questions that come with the prospect, though. Is it bad for you? Does it increase your risk of allergies? This blog, which covers all aspects of sleep, would like to help you determine if the practice is right for you.

We should start by mentioning that this idea of co-sleeping with pets is nothing new. As stated in an article by the American Kennel Club, “Aboriginal Australians often slept beside their dogs and/or dingoes for warmth and protection from evil spirits”. Nowadays, many more people have domestic animals they treat very well and it is exceptionally common to sleep with them. Around 41% of owners of medium-sized dogs sleep with their pet and 62% of cat owners share the bed with theirs. Obviously, we’re not talking about sleeping with your pet boa, but joking aside, what are the benefits and disadvantages?

Pros

One of the obvious benefits would extend from the reason why most people wish to co-sleep in the first place: comfort. Many pet owners find that sleeping with their furry friend brings them a sense of security. The importance of this should not be underestimated. The University of Alberta found that sufferers of chronic pain reported better sleep due to the reduced stress of co-sleeping with a pet. This can be a great remedy for those who do not find their pet disturbs their sleep too much. This leads us to one of the few cons of co-sleeping.

Cons

It should be mentioned that this article is in no way encouraging sleeping with pets. This is because there are some serious risks associated with the practice if one is not careful. Mainly the danger to your pet can sometimes be more serious than the danger towards you. Specifically with puppies and kittens, there is possibility of suffocation or broken bones if an owner of either rolls on top of them in their sleep. It is entirely possible to injure your pet since involuntary movement is so common. Pet owners should try to wait until their pet is fully developed and in a safe place before they consider co-sleeping.

Secondly, allergens can be seriously aggravated if an owner is prone to them. This should not be taken lightly since allergies can be serious risks to some one’s health in special cases.

Also, keep in mind that sleep disturbances can increase when co-sleeping with a pet. Specifically with dogs whose sleep system is polyphasic, in comparison to that of a human’s which is monophasic. This means dogs may have lighter sleeping habits, leading to further interruption. To curb these disturbances, one could look to Zenbev Drink Mix. Our all-natural remedy for sleep is the best natural sleep aid and designed to naturally mitigate sleep difficulty and disturbance in all the right conditions to provide you with a better and more natural sleep!

Lastly, pets are like humans in some of their emotional attachments. Separation anxiety can occur just as much in dogs, if not more, than it does with their human best friends. If your dog is not accustomed to sleeping away from you, it can lead to distress when you are not around. Be careful not to let this become too serious of a behavioural issue with your pet!

In conclusion, sleeping with pets is a common activity, but not without a few risks. Anyone that is reading this in hope of coming to a resolution on what is right for them is encouraged to research the subject more before drawing conclusions on what is the safest option for you and your beloved pet.