Women sleep better with dogs than with human partners

There are many dog trainers who advise against letting your dog sleep with you in bed.  Some new research by Dr Christy Hoffman at the Canisius College will challenge that notion.

Izzy the greyhound in bed

In a survey of 962 women living in the United States, dogs who slept with their female owners were found to disturb sleep less than a human counterpart and they provided stronger feelings of comfort and security.

Dogs’ sleep patterns more closely coincide with sleep patterns in humans than do the sleep patterns of cats, which may explain why dog moms stick to a stricter sleep schedule and go to bed earlier.

Cats didn’t fare quite as well in this research.  Cats were reported to be equally disruptive as human partners and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security compared to dogs or humans.

Journal citation:  An Examination of Adult Women’s Sleep Quality and Sleep Routines in Relation to Pet Ownership and Bedsharing

Source:  Canisius College

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