Scientists have told why you should not sleep on the same bed with pets

Many people are accustomed to sleeping on the same bed with their cats or dogs. However, this may lead to a violation sleep and restless nights, scientists from Lincoln Memorial University (USA) found out. results research published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions.

Scientists analyzed data from the American National Social Research Program (NHANES) for 2005-2006 and concluded that dog and cat owners sleep worse than those with no pets. In particular, dog owners were more likely to report sleep disturbance and trouble falling asleep, and cat owners complained of involuntary leg cramps.

According to the authors, the cause of sleep problems may lie in the nocturnal activity of animals - cats in particular. Because of this, it is more difficult for the owner to get enough sleep. This is also confirmed by the fact that cat owners more often slept less than 7 hours per night, although this study does not allow us to speak of a direct causal relationship.

Scientists admit that more research is needed to investigate the causal relationship between poor sleep and pets, but note that their results are consistent with previous ones. materials about this theme.

Another controversial point in the work: NHANES data did not contain information about whether pet owners actually slept with them in the same bed. However, for healthier sleep, experts recommend limiting pet access to the bedroom.