Let the dog sleep with you

Alan Levine

If you see your dog as a child or member of the family, you’re not alone. 60 percent of dog owners feels this way, which is why many let Fido and Fifi sleep near them in the same bed. But is sleeping in the same bed with your dog a good idea? Wouldn’t they be disruptive to our sleep? According to a study, not really. Researchers (Mayo Clinic in Phoenix) studied 40 dogs (none were puppies) who slept in the bedroom with their owners. The humans were all generally good sleepers, with no known sleep disorders. Over seven days of testing, the researchers found that with a dog in the bedroom, both the humans and the dogs slept reasonably well. Humans had a mean sleep efficiency, or the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed, of 81 percent, while dogs had a sleep efficiency of 85 percent. Levels over 80 percent are generally considered satisfactory. People slept slightly better when the dog was off the bed; dogs slept the same whether they were on the bed or in another location in the bedroom.