5 Reasons Why You Should Sleep With Your Dog

It’s no surprise that dogs are considered man’s best friend. Domesticated dogs have slept in our homes and been a part of our tribal packs for thousands of years. Sharing beds with dogs isn’t anything new either. 

You can find hundreds of memes and social media groups lovingly dedicated to our furry sleeping companions and their strangeness. We dog people love our canine friends to the ends of the earth. And According to SleePare, there’s even science to back up claims that you should sleep with your four-legged friend.

1. Sleeping With Your Dog Improves Your Quality of Life

Studies show that you’re healthier, sleep better, and feel safer with a dog in your bed. Cardiologists have reported reduced heart disorders and stress in patients that share their sleeping quarters with their dogs. 

Further, dogs have developed a perfect symbiosis with humans. They depend on us for food, shelter, and medical attention. We rely on them for companionship, motivation, and protection. 

2. Sleeping With You Dog is Safer

Homes with dogs are statistically safer because property crimes are vastly reduced in homes with dogs. They act as a natural alarm in most cases and can head off crimes before they happen. 

Even though most dogs are perfectly harmless, criminals don’t like the thought of their presence being announced. Homes with dogs are less likely to be targeted than those with cats or no pets at all.

3. Dogs Improve Your Sleep Quality

Sleep studies with pets and without show a distinct difference in breathing patterns and overall body movement during sleep, suggesting that when you’re sleeping with your pup, you sleep better. 

For some, this is counter-intuitive. You’d think a 100-lbs mass laying across your legs would be distracting, but for many, they couldn’t sleep without their pooch snoring at the foot of the bed. Dogs sleep deep, even when they are alert. It’s sometimes helpful to hear their gentle snoozing to lull yourself into a deeper sleep pattern by matching breathing pace. 

4. Better Mental and Physical Health

Dogs help humans with mental health by loving unconditionally and always being there to pet and listen. Dogs are amazing creatures with intuition and instinct far more significant than some give credit for. Some dogs are specifically trained to help their handlers cope with emotional triggers like anxiety and PTSD. 

They can also smell and sense physical ailments. Service animals can be trained to help you function with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Training regimens have been developed to smell insulin deficiencies, cancerous growths, and changes in body movements and smell before a person having a seizure.  

5. Pack Bonding

Dogs are pack animals, and we are their leaders. The bond between a dog and their human is strong and unbreakable in most cases. Puppies sleep huddled with their siblings, their birth pack. The pack behavior continues into adulthood. When you sleep with your dog, you show them that you love and trust them. They belong in the pack and will protect you from whatever comes your way. 

Caution: Not All Dogs Are Good Sleep Companions

Just because your dog doesn’t sleep well with you doesn’t make them a bad dog. Some dogs are bred and trained for specific jobs that don’t allow them to be comfortable sharing sleeping quarters with their humans. 

Make sure that your dog is up to date on preventative medications and training. This will prevent the spread of parasites and disease and curb negative behaviors. Often, dogs with possessive tendencies will do better in their bed or a safe space like a crate overnight. 

Adapt to your dog the way you expect your dog to adapt to you. They are your companion and partner. Respect them as more than just a pet, and they’ll be loving and faithful to the end of their time.