Sleeping with People

[lbaker]

I don't even mind the Frito-feet

[LeahMM]

The only hazard I face is if one of the dogs is caught on my husbands side of the bed.

[caseysmom]

I don't sleep good without the dogs, some nights casey doesn't want that much togetherness and I truly don't sleep as well.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Barry, the only hazard I have with sleeping with the dogs are the dirty looks they would flash at me

[cali]

I have a really really hard time sleeping without my dogs, I sleep on my side, Electra starts under the covers next to my tummy(though she ends on top of the covers laying on her back with her legs in the air and stretched against my back) Misty liks to curl up under the covers against my back, and Happy sleeps on the floor after I fall asleep, I make her come up to help me fall asleep, and she curles up around my head, once I am asleep she moves to the floor. and they certianly dont wake me up during the night.. I usally have to drag THEIR hineys out of bed!

[lizbud]

Well, I sleep with two dogs on the bed & everyone sleeps just fine.
I really like it when, on cold evenings, the dogs have pre-warmed my
spot for me.

[tsteele93]

Hi,

I saw the story that you are referring to and it is quite simple. Basically, they did study that showed you got less rest at night if you had a pet sleeping in your bed because, whether you realize it or not, the animal wakes you - or takes you out of your normal sleeping rhythm - several times each night.

I've seen studies that are very similar for snoring spouses as well.

Ultimately, when I saw it I figured it was one of those "whatever" or "who cares" items. Technically, it is probably true in most cases. PRACTICALLY, would it make much difference in your life if you moved the animal off the bed and got that better rest? Maybe, probably not.

That said - my first pom slept at the foot of my bed his entire life. I'm sure I woke up a couple of times a night from something he did. For the past five years of his life, I was married and he had a mommy sleeping in the bed too. (We have a King Sized - thank goodness) and that meant that he slept on my side and I moved my legs to give him room or curled up.

When he died this Summer, and we got a new Pom, we decided to have him sleep in his crate beside the bed. That has worked well so far. I have more room to stretch out, and he is fine with the crate once he is tired.

However, lately we've taken to a HORRIBLE habit (from a training perspective) of letting him wind down up on the bed with us, and then transferring him to the crate. He has taken it well, and moves from bed to crate with no fuss, but I suspect we are flirting with disaster.

Back to the subject at hand - I can't tell any real difference in sleep quality without the dog on the bed. If you are married, then you are probably being inadvertently woken or disturbed by your spouse at some times during the night anyway. Especially if you are in a smaller bed than a King.

In conclusion, the scientists are probably technically correct. But practically, in real life, everything comes with a benefit/expense ratio and I'm sure those scientists didn't have a way to factor in the comforting feeling that the animal gives you, or the hassle factor if you try to get them to sleep somewhere else, etc...

Plus, people tend to get hung up on words like "better" and "worse" and forget to check the DEGREE of better and worse. If you get 1% better sleep without a pet in the bed, who cares? If you got 80% better sleep, then maybe it might be worth considering. The scientists don't have that info. They just say "you sleep better" without the pet in the bed to wake you.

So choose what you like and don't worry about it!