Apparently 4th October, is World Animal Day so shall we talk about our pets?
Do you sleep with yours, and do you think it’s good for you? In this blog I hope to offer you a balanced and helpful view as not only a sleep expert but also someone who has two much-loved pets.
I have a 11-yr old cat called Rani and 5-yr old Mira the dog. Rani has never slept in my bedroom and the door is kept firmly closed. While cats aren’t nocturnal, they are ‘crepuscular’ – meaning they are active at dawn and dusk. She has always hunted and, much as I love her, I’d rather not have to deal with any furry tokens of her devotion at night. The rescue pup Mira is another issue. She arrived from Cyprus 4 years ago and having lived on the street for a year before emigrating to the UK, was pretty traumatised when she arrived at my home. While my intention had always been to keep her out of the bedroom, this never happened. She cried solidly for two nights, and I gave in. She now sleeps in a basket beside my bed but did I make the right decision?
Research shows that over 50% of people report sleeping with their pet in their bedroom and nearly 35% of children share their bed with their pet. The data seems to suggest that sleeping with your cat can be more disruptive than sleeping with your dog, so I think I’ve made the right decision by excluding Rani.
In the past, medical professionals have advised against sleeping with your pets, but more recent research seems to suggest the opposite. Apparently, while there are some downsides, co-sleeping can have positive benefits on your physical and emotional health. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons and some practicalities.
The Downside of Sleeping With Your Pet
Your pet can trigger allergies, and they can carry germs, so it is important to ensure that they have regular trips to the vet and that they’re kept clean and brushed regularly. It’s also important to change your bedclothes regularly and ideally keep your furry friend in a bed or basket beside you and, tempting as it might be, not in your bed, even on those colder winter nights.
If you are experiencing allergies such as constant sneezing or even wheezing and asthma it might be helpful to speak to your doctor about medication and, as I do, get an air purifier for your bedroom. However, it is worth noting that your immune system might even get stronger as a result of being exposed to the variety of germs your pets can expose you to which could be the perfect counterbalance to our modern-day obsession with cleanliness.
Nighttime disruption can be an issue so it’s a good idea to walk your dog in the evening to minimise this factor. I sleep with a fan in my bedroom, and the settings are adjusted according to the season. This ensures that Mira’s occasional snuffles and yips during the night, sweet as they might be, don’t disturb me too much. The continuous background noise from the fan acts like a buffer against the noise intrusions.
Do you tend to overheat at night? If so, again I suggest keeping your pet in a bed beside you rather than having them in your bed.
And now for the good news…
The majority of the research and anecdotal feedback from other pet owners seems to suggest that sleeping with your pet can provide a variety of benefits.
Comfort and security – your dog can provide a sense of safety and protection. Certain types of dogs may actually be healing for people with mental health problems such as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) whose sleep might be more fitful and agitated. Apparently labrador retrievers and golden retrievers are renowned for providing such emotional support because they are loyal, intelligent and calm. In a study of war veterans, over half stated that their dog helped to ease their nightmares and bring them better sleep.
Easing loneliness and anxiety – so many of us got dogs during the pandemic, didn’t we? Having a pet and keeping them close by you at night definitely eases symptoms of anxiety and loneliness. They help to calm the nervous system and instil feelings of inner safety. In fact, I write about this in my latest book Finding Inner Safety (Capthorne, 2022). Receiving unconditional love from your pet stimulates a powerful biochemical response in your body and you produce a hormone called oxytocin. This is the hormone that a mother produces when she gives birth enabling the mother-child connection to deepen. We produce this same hormone when we receive this deep love with our pets and having them beside us at night, calms and soothes and enables us to produce the sleep hormone melatonin, so we sleep more deeply. Studies even show that people with pets are less likely to take sleep medication! Amazing, isn’t it?
A stronger heart and cardiovascular system – apparently petting your dog can reduce your blood pressure and heart rate so cuddling them at night could be a perfect part of your wind down routine before sleep.
Mira was highly traumatised when she came to me 3 years ago. In fact, her reaction to every slight noise began to make me more anxious and jittery and I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision in getting her – especially when my own sleep started to suffer. I sought advice and was told that rescue dogs are renowned for their anxious ways and that she might even benefit from medication for her anxiety. I was really against the idea of this and set about doing what I’d done years before when I first had my daughter, and she wouldn’t sleep. I set about working on making myself as calm and relaxed as I could be while allowing Mira to be anxious at times, without fussing too much over her. There was a balance to be struck, and I needed to find it. Over time, she became calmer and happier and guess what, my sleep has gotten even better! I have no doubt that Mira has played a huge part in this and for that, I will always be grateful.
So, if you are secretly harbouring guilt about sharing your sleep space with your pet, try not to. On balance, it’s actually really good for you. We all need our healers don’t we?
With love and wishing you amazing health and energy,
Nerina
