Sleeping Problems? Pets in the Bedroom Might Help: Study

Looking for ways to get more z's during bedtime? Science has found that your pets can help you get just that.

Today reported that, although many people have said that pets are disrupting people's sleep, a recent study conducted by the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Mayo Clinic has discovered that sleeping with pets does help people sleep better.

"I'm not sure that there's a hard and fast rule about pets [in the bedroom],” said one of the study authors Dr. Lois Krahn, a sleep medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Arizona. “My community of colleagues do think that it is just always a risk."

Krahn arrived at the findings after asking 150 respondents to fill out a questionnaire asking about their sleeping habits and their pets. It also asked details regarding the type and number of pet animals in the home.

An interview was also done, in which all respondents were asked as to where their respective pet or pets sleep, how the animals behaved, and if whether or not the pets affected their sleep.

Half of the 150 people surveyed were pet owners. Of the 56 percent of respondents who said that they allow their pets to sleep with them, with the animal either in the bed or somewhere else inside the bedroom, 41 percent reported to having better sleep. This, thanks to an increased sense of security, companionship or relaxation.

It was also found that those who slept alone felt more secure when they slept with their pet.

"[Some people] find that sleeping with their animal actually helps them feel cozy. One woman said her two small dogs kind of warmed her bed. Another person felt her cat who was touching her during the night was comforting and soothing," said Krahn.

On the other hand, 20 percent said that they experienced some sleep disturbances because of their pets.

New York Daily News reported that these new findings contradict earlier established sleep recommendations. In 2013, the same Center for Sleep Medicine reported an estimated 10 percent of people having their sleep disturbed by a pet, just one percent higher from 2001.

However, this earlier report found that those who complained for pet-disturbed sleep had more than one pet.

Pet-caused sleep disturbances depend on what pet a person might have. When left outside, for example, pet animals can whine or scratch the bedroom door.

Dogs and cats are the common pets in the survey. Dogs can establish sleeping partners corresponding with their owners, while cats tend to roam inside the room.