It’s
a no-brainer that sleep is vital for one’s health. That is why so many
researchers study the best way to get good quality shut-eye. However, forget
chamomile tea and meditating before bed. According to new research, women sleep
better next to dogs. That’s right; Canisius College in New York State conducted
a study that found that canines make better-sleeping partners than humans or
cats.
“We
found that women commonly rate dogs as better bed partners than cats and human
partners and report that their dogs enhance their sleep quality,” Christy
Hoffman, Ph.D., animal behaviorist and lead researcher of the study.
Research
Finds that Women Sleep Better Next to Dogs
Hoffman
surveyed almost one thousand women living in the United States to come to these
findings. The results showed that 55% of the participants shared their bed with
at least one dog and 31% with at least one cat. Also, 57% of these women shared
a bed with a human partner, while the rest did not.
Hoffman
also discovered why dogs seemed to make the best bed companions. The
first reason is that dogs’ sleeping patterns, as opposed to cats, more closely
resemble those of humans.
“The
difference between dogs and cats is not surprising because dogs’ major sleep
periods tend to coincide more closely with humans’ than do cats,’” said
Hoffman.
However,
while there may be benefits of these similar sleeping patterns, more research
is needed to know for certain. But Hoffman has some ideas of how this could
work.
“In
comparison to human bed partners, dogs may be better at accommodating their
human’s sleep schedule,” she said. “It’s not uncommon for human bed
partners to go to bed at very different times and wake up at very different
times. Such differences in partners’ schedules can certainly disrupt sleep. It
may be that dog bed partners adapt more readily to their owner’s schedule than
do human bed partners.”
Moreover,
dogs require certain schedules and responsibilities, such as a morning walk.
This kind of regime helps their owners maintain a routine, improving sleep
quality as a result.
Stillness
and Security
Additionally,
dogs tend to stay stiff as they sleep. Anyone who’s slept with a fidgety
partner knows how disruptive they could be. However, women in the study
reported that their dogs stayed on the bed most of the night instead of
felines, who tended to come and go.
“This
suggests that cats may be more likely than dogs to create disruptions by moving
on and off the bed during the night. In addition, we found that dog owners kept
to more consistent bedtime and wake time schedules than cat owners and also
tended to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier than cat owners,” Hoffman
said.
Here’s
the third and most important reason: Canines provide a sense of security to
their owners. More so than with cats or even human
partners.
“Some
dog owners may take comfort in the thought that their dog will alert them in
the case of an intruder or other type of emergency; furthermore, a dog’s bark
may deter a potential intruder. A cat is less likely to take on this role, and
so, may not provide psychological comfort in the same way a dog might,” said
Hoffman.
The
Best Partner for Quality Sleep
However,
while the study suggests that dogs are the perfect slumber buddies, their
benefits are subjective to each case. For example, a dog could snore or
make the bed too hot. Additionally, there are many owners who find that their
cats help them sleep.
Keep
in mind that the research was based on how the volunteers perceive their pets’
effects on their sleeping quality and duration. As a result, more objective
research is needed to definitively consider dogs the superior sleeping
partners. However, Hoffman believes that these studies could be beneficial as
many American households have pets.
“It
will be valuable to continue this line of research so we can develop a clearer
picture of the contexts under which pets and their presence in their owner’s
bed may positively impact sleep quality, and the contexts under which
co-sleeping with a pet may be detrimental to one’s sleep quality,” she
said.
For
instance, research has also shown that women sleep better while alone than with
a human, but many believe in the opposite. Future research could use
Fitbit-like devices to objectively track the sleep quality of people in
different sleeping conditions.
Source: viral-stories.online
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