{"id":2129,"date":"2018-07-24T18:09:07","date_gmt":"2018-07-24T18:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bettersleeppro.wpengine.com\/?p=2129"},"modified":"2018-07-24T18:09:07","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T18:09:07","slug":"let-dog-sleep-bed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersleep.org\/blog\/let-dog-sleep-bed\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Let My Dog Sleep in the Bed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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They\u2019re loyal. They\u2019re lovable. And who can resist those cute wet noses and wagging tails? No wonder dogs have become known as man\u2019s best friend. According to the ASPCA, approximately 44% of all U.S. households own a dog. That\u2019s literally millions and millions of people who have a pooch as a part of their family.<\/p>\n

And because these doggies are considered part of the family, it turns out that many owners go as far as sharing their bed with Fido every night.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re one of these folks, you may want to get a better understanding of what cuddling with a canine companion does to your sleep and how you might be able to minimize the impact.<\/p>\n

The pros and cons of sleeping with your dog.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Experts at the Mayo Clinic conducted a study to evaluate sleep habits of people who co-slept with their dogs. The study found that many people felt comfort and security in having their pets near them all night. In fact, some even slept better with their dogs in the bedroom.<\/p>\n

However, the positive benefits of sleeping with your dogs ended when the test subjects actually invited them under the covers. Sleep efficiency results for these subjects went downhill when the dog was in the bed, as opposed to just in the room.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it, most dogs snore. And some even act out their dreams, like running in their sleep. Plus, the American Kennel Club says that dogs are polyphasic sleepers, which means that they average three sleep\/wake cycles every hour at night. That can mean a lot of noise and shifting around when they wake each time. With that in mind, sharing a bed with your four-legged friend likely leads to more sleep disruptions for you and, in turn, poor sleep quality.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to let sleeping dogs lie, at least look at your sleep setup.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Even though co-sleeping with your dog isn\u2019t the best idea, we know many loyal owners who already share their bed won\u2019t kick their dog out for any reason. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, half of the 78 million dogs owned in the United States sleep in a person’s bed \u2014 either an adult\u2019s or child\u2019s. If you find yourself in this group of pet parents, here are some tips on what you can do to get a restful sleep with your dog by your side:<\/p>\n