You May Not Want Your Pet Catching Z's With You

Our furry best friend might be our worst sleep enemy. Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it's worth it, and researchers don't necessarily disagree. Melissa Milanak, a sleep health professor at Medical University of South Carolina, says most people at her clinic say their pets disturb them often at night, per the AP. "You can't say that ... it's bad for every single person, but there is a lot out there saying it negatively impacts your sleep," she notes.

• On one hand: Having a pet is generally good for many people's health. Pets have been shown to lower their humans' stress levels, get them to exercise, and more. Many pet owners also say they feel an immeasurable amount of comfort by having their pets close as they sleep.

• On the other: Dogs tend to be light sleepers and wake up multiple times at night, as well as display instinctual behavior like scratching at bedding, which can prevent deeper phases of sleep, even if it doesn't wake you up. And, as many cat owners know, "the zoomies" often happen when the lights are low. Cats evolved to hunt in low light, meaning they're particularly active at dusk and dawn.
• Science take: Brian Chin, a professor of social and health psychology at Connecticut's Trinity College, said his research has found sleeping with pets was associated with poor sleep, particularly insomnia. Moreover, a higher number of pets was associated with higher sleep disruption.
• What to do? It's not as simple as telling pet owners they shouldn't share the bed, Milanak said. For a lot of people, it becomes part of their sleep routine, and they've come to associate pets with sleep. If they're waking up multiple times a night, however, they may not realize why. Once the association is made, Milanak says, she then asks whether they're open to not sleeping together.
• Ideas: One solution is to put a dog bed on the bedroom floor, or lock the cat out of the room at night. For those who insist on having the pet in bed with them, Milanak advises washing sheets more frequently and perhaps adjusting your sleep schedule to match the pet's routine. "Maybe you need to go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier to accommodate the pet," she says.

(More pets stories.)