If you have a pet, chances are, you treat them like they are your own kids. That means lots of attention, great toys, and a coveted snuggle spot in your bed. And if the latter for you is true, you’re far from alone. A survey by the CDC found that 56-percent of dog owners and 62-percent of cat owners sleep with their fur-babies in bed.
A study by the Center for Sleep Medicine backs up these stats; in their study 56% of pet owners overall let their pets sleep in the bedroom or in bed, and 41% of pet owners said it didn’t hurt their sleep at all. Pet owners reported feeling safer and calmer with their pets in bed, and some actually liked how warm their cats and dogs made the bed. That’s not for all of us, though.
But have you ever wondered whether it’s actually healthy to sleep with your pet in your bed? People have different opinions on whether it’s a good choice or not. Let’s take a look –
If you have allergies, think twice.
A lot of pet owners have mild allergies to their pets that can be managed on a daily basis. But, these allergies can actually be exacerbated if you are sleeping next to your pet every night, even if it’s on a comfortable memory foam custom mattress. Where you might vacuum your house every day, you probably only wash your sheets once a week.
So if you are semi-allergic to your pet, you probably want to avoid sleeping with your pet. After all, what good is that luxurious custom mattress if you wake up stuffy and sneezing during the night? Get your pets their own bed, and don’t fall for those (literal) puppy dog eyes when you make them stay in it.
It’s healthy, so long as you take your pet for regular checkups.
Many people wonder if it is healthy to sleep with your pet. If your pet has their shots, tick medication and is regularly checked by your veterinarian, it should generally be safe for you to sleep with your pet. If you’re worried about your pet tracking in unwanted germs from outside and bringing them in bed, vets recommend a 50/50 mixture of rubbing alcohol and water to decontaminate paws. Keep them on top of the covers too—claws and nails can wreck your custom sheet sets.
But, your pet's sleep cycle might keep you up at night.
Some pets keep you up at night. Sometimes they kick and bark while dreaming, other times they just take up way too much space. Animals actually sleep differently from us, and it could affect our own sleep cycle. Where humans are monophasic sleepers with one sleep cycle over 24 hours, dogs, for example, are polyphasic sleepers and average three sleep and wake cycles per night. And because of their protective instincts, dogs can stay alert for hours, even when sleeping, which makes them much lighter sleepers than us. No matter how soft your memory foam gel mattress topper is, a restless animal can disturb your rest.
It can make you feel safer, though.
While your light-sleeping dog might annoyingly wake you up when they hear your kids come home or your partner sneaking a midnight snack, a study by Human Nature found that co-sleeping with your dog does provide some with a feeling of safety and security. Knowing that they can wake you in case of an emergency is often settling for owners. And with cats, there’s the therapeutic benefits of purring and kneading. So long as they don’t wake you up at 2am with a paw to the face screaming for food – feeling safe is key to feeling calm enough to fall asleep.
Pets can enhance relaxation and make you sleep better.
Many pet owners already know this, but having your pet in bed can actually be very relaxing and comforting. Sleeping deeply in your custom sized bed is the point, after all! Having something to snuggle and pet can both calm you down at the end of the day and keep you company. Now, these anecdotes are backed by stats.
A Mayo Clinic study found that 41-percent of pet owners reported sleeping better with them in bed. And researchers at the University of Alberta found that people had less anxiety while sharing a bed with pets: "They felt more relaxed and safer so they weren’t anxious as they were trying to sleep.”
It might help your pet sleep better, too.
None of us like watching our pets age, but they do, just like we do. As we get older, our body needs things like custom memory foam mattresses and ergonomic pillows so we can physically function in the morning. Anyone with a cranky old cat or a German Shepherd with a bad hip knows that our pets start having the same problems as they get older, too. You can even find pet beds made of memory foam now.
So, if your pet isn’t cramping your sleep style, let them experience the comfort of your custom-made mattress, too. It’ll help ease their achy joints as much as it does yours. Or if you want to be really over-the-top, as many of us pet parents are, we can always make smaller custom size and shaped mattresses for your furry family members. Just saying.
Final Verdict: What the Custom Mattress Makers Have to Say
So, should you sleep with your pet in bed? The answer is just as unique to you as your custom bed is. But, if your pet is healthy, clean and they don’t take up too much of the bed or snore too loud, chances are, you could have a great night's sleep no matter whether you sleep on an extra-long twin mattress or the ultimate wide Alaskan king bed.
Custom beds are kind of our whole thing; we’ve made everything from v-berth yacht mattresses to notched corner semi-truck mattresses, and even beds for horse trailers. So get as particular as you want with your custom mattress order – choose a split king mattress to cut off movement transfer, or a round mattress with no “edge” for your pet to push you off of. Go ahead – anything you can conjure up. We love a challenge almost as much as we love crafting bespoke beds.
Sleep tight!