Is It Okay to Sleep with Your Pets?

It has long been a topic of conversation among my pet loving friends and dog walking, pet sitting clients – “where does your dog sleep?”   Do you or don’t you let your dog sleep with you in bed?  Our rescue dog came to us crate trained so he happily gets into his crate each night and sleeps the night away, in our bedroom.  We even bought him a comfortable travel crate that folds up easily and he happily sleeps in that, in our hotel room, when we travel with him.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  He also is allowed up on the bed some mornings when we have time to linger, and he cuddles with us, and we all love it.

I was home sick in bed all day shortly after we had adopted him.  He slept on the bed, close to me, the entire day.  It was so comforting to know somebody was there with me and I think he felt the same.

According to research recently published by, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, sharing your bedroom and bed with your canine, as long as he isn’t under the covers, may actually  improve your sleep.  Many people are away from their pets for long hours each day and find the time they can spend with their pets to be precious.  Therefore, they want to have them in their room to be close to them, to bond with them, to share the closeness and cuddle with them.  Research shows slightly less than one-half of all pet owners share their bed or bedroom with their pet.  If you are healthy and your pets are healthy and clean, it can be a positive experience for all.  That means they should be free of fleas, ticks and parasites.  Some people fear they will “catch” something from their dog.  That rarely occurs, but if your immune system is compromised, you probably should not sleep with your pets in bed with you.  Of course, if you have asthma or allergies, sadly pets should not be in your room.

Some folks believe allowing pets on the bed can lead to behavioral problems.  If you have an aggressive pet, you may not want to share your bed with them.  A lot of animal aggression is caused by fear, not by allowing pets on the furniture.  If you have a resource guarder, like our Makena, who regards anything of “value” as his, it can be challenging at times to allow him on the bed.  You know your dog and what’s best for them and the family.  If Makena starts “guarding” the bed or anything on it, he is asked to leave.  A well-adjusted and well-behaved dog will probably delight in being able to sleep on the bed with you and this “treat” will not lead to any behavioral problems.  But if your dog is showing signs of aggression or other behavioral problems, its best to curtail the co-sleeping arrangement and contact your veterinarian, trainer or behaviorist.

Also, if you have a “Velcro-dog”, a dog that is clingy and co-dependent, you may want to rethink co-sleeping.  This is a dog who can’t bear it when you are behind a closed door without him. A dog that has separation anxiety may sleep plastered to your side all night.  This will only feed his co-dependence.  Bedtime may be a good time to begin teaching him independence.  Check with your veterinarian, trainer or behaviorist for help with this very serious issue.

According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 43 million American households have a dog.  In general, pets love their parents and are drawn to their scent.  They also prefer to sleep in elevated spaces.  If you choose to sleep solo, you may wish to put a nice pet bed in the room with you and maybe place a piece of your worn clothing in their bed, so your pet can cuddle up to something with your scent on it.

There are many benefits to co-sleeping with your dog.  Dogs body temperature is higher than ours so having a warm dog to cuddle with on your bed on a cold night has its benefits.  It may also help you relax and sleep better and may even help if you are suffering from insomnia.  Dogs can comfort you and enhance the dog-owner bond by increasing the time you spend with your dog, just by having them in the bed with you.  Co-sleeping with your dog also may ease anxiety and provide a feeling of security and safety.  Since dogs are light sleepers (they are polyphasic sleepers, averaging three sleep/wake cycle per nighttime hour versus humans who are monophasic sleepers, one period of sleep over a 24-hour cycle), they can alert you to anything out of the ordinary.

Additionally, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that interacting with your pet, and touching your pet causes your brain to release oxytocin, also commonly known as the “love hormone”, “cuddle chemical” and “bonding hormone” to name a few.  This hormone helps us bond with our pet, increase feelings of relaxation, trust and psychological stability.

The research study concludes that if your pet is healthy and well-adjusted, and you are free from pet allergies or asthma, co-sleeping with your pet is a win-win.  I know we will keep doing it.  Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy Snoring.