Study: Women Sleep Better Next to Dogs

Think twice before booting the dog out of the bedroom.

Researchers at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., have found that women sleep better next to dogs than cats — or their human partners.

In the study published in the journal Anthrozoos, 55 percent of the 962 women surveyed  shared the bed with at least one dog, and 31 percent of them shared the bed with at least one cat. Fifty-seven percent of the women shared the bed with a human partner. 

According to the researchers, both cats and humans were equally disruptive to women’s sleep and provided them with fewer feelings of comfort and security than dogs.

Dog owners also reported earlier sleep and wake times than cat owners and participants without pets.

“Dog ownership and its associated responsibilities may cause individuals to adhere to a stricter routine,” researchers said. “Keeping to a consistent sleep schedule may be beneficial to dog owners.”

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