Should I let my pet sleep on my bed?

Whether to share your bed with your pet is a question of balancing the emotional benefits with any physical and practical drawbacks.

There is no doubt that dogs and cats provide comfort and a sense of security, and physical proximity to pets has proven benefits. The vibrations of a cat’s purr range from 25–150 megahertz—frequencies that are used in ultrasound therapies to heal bone and soft tissues. And sleep specialists say that emotional support dogs can help in treating nightmares and other anxiety-related sleep disturbance in PTSD sufferers.

SLEEPING COMPANIONS

A study found that people sleeping with one dog in the bedroom (but not on the bed) maintained good sleep efficiency (the amount of time spent asleep). However, if the dog slept on the bed, sleep was mildly disrupted.

The size and number of pets matters, too—cats are small, but they’re often more active at night and may wake you if they want to go out, play, or eat.

Light sleepers or those with allergies should avoid sleeping with pets. If your partner is not eager to share the bed with a pet, keep in mind that arguments release sleep-busting stress hormones. Your own pet’s sleeping habits may also affect yours. Research has shown that dogs who are stressed, bored, or lonely sleep worse than active, happy dogs—and their nocturnal restlessness may in turn disturb you.

“Feeding the cat just before your bedtime may help prevent it from disturbing you at night.”