It’s well-known that sleep is essential for health, which is why so many researchers focus on ways to improve sleep quality. However, forget chamomile tea and bedtime meditation. According to new research from Canisius College in New York State, women sleep better next to dogs. The study found that dogs are better sleeping partners than humans or cats. “We found that women commonly rate dogs as better bed partners than cats and human partners and report that their dogs enhance their sleep quality,” said Christy Hoffman, Ph.D., animal behaviorist and lead researcher of the study.
Hoffman surveyed nearly 1,000 women in the United States to reach these findings. The results showed that 55% of the participants shared their bed with at least one dog, 31% with at least one cat, and 57% with a human partner.
Hoffman discovered why dogs seem to make the best bed companions. One reason is that dogs’ sleeping patterns are more similar to humans’ compared to cats. “The difference between dogs and cats is not surprising because dogs’ major sleep periods tend to coincide more closely with humans’ than cats’,” said Hoffman.
While there are benefits to these similar sleeping patterns, more research is needed. However, Hoffman has some ideas about how this works. “Compared to human bed partners, dogs may better accommodate their human’s sleep schedule. Human partners often go to bed and wake up at different times, which can disrupt sleep. Dogs may adapt more readily to their owner’s schedule,” she said.
Additionally, dogs require schedules and responsibilities, like morning walks. This routine helps their owners maintain a regular schedule, which can improve sleep quality.
Stillness and Security
Additionally, dogs tend to stay still as they sleep. Anyone who’s slept with a fidgety partner knows how disruptive they can be. However, women in the study reported that their dogs stayed on the bed most of the night, unlike cats who tended to come and go.
“This suggests that cats may be more likely than dogs to create disruptions by moving on and off the bed during the night. In addition, we found that dog owners kept to more consistent bedtime and wake time schedules than cat owners and also tended to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier than cat owners,” Hoffman said.
The third and most important reason is that dogs provide a sense of security to their owners, more so than cats or even human partners.
“Some dog owners may take comfort in the thought that their dog will alert them in the case of an intruder or other type of emergency; furthermore, a dog’s bark may deter a potential intruder. A cat is less likely to take on this role and so may not provide psychological comfort in the same way a dog might,” said Hoffman.
The Ideal Sleep Partner
While the study suggests that dogs are excellent sleep companions, their benefits can vary for each person. For example, a dog might snore or make the bed too warm. Additionally, many owners find that their cats help them sleep.
It’s important to note that the research was based on how the volunteers perceived their pets’ effects on their sleep quality and duration. Therefore, more objective research is needed to definitively consider dogs as superior sleeping partners. Hoffman believes further studies could be beneficial since many American households have pets.
“It will be valuable to continue this line of research so we can develop a clearer picture of the contexts under which pets and their presence in their owner’s bed may positively impact sleep quality, and the contexts under which co-sleeping with a pet may be detrimental to one’s sleep quality,” she said.
For example, research has also shown that women sleep better alone than with a human partner, but many believe the opposite. Future studies could use devices like Fitbits to objectively track sleep quality in different sleeping conditions.