Sleeping With An Animal Helps To Reconcile Sleep

Of all human activities, sleep is one of the most important; it serves to renew the energy needed to be able to face the day in the best possible way, to reduce stress and accumulated fatigue, as well as helping to keep the body in balance.

Since sleep is essential, people who suffer from sleep disorders tend to have an altered state of health due to inadequate rest, a phenomenon that can lead to illness, in some cases even serious.

There are many techniques recommended for obtaining a long and uninterrupted sleep, among which you can find unusual advice – how to count sheep with your eyes closed -, up to religious suggestions, such as reciting a rosary.

However, one of the most criticized recommendations over the years has been to ensure that sleeping next to a pet is the best possible way to rest peacefully.

What is true, to the surprise of many, is that scientific research has established that it is in effect an effective way to sleep better.

For a sound sleep, sleep with your pet

While it’s hard to believe, an accurate study carried out by the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Arizona revealed that those who sleep with their cat or dog can benefit from restful sleep and rest in peace.

The experiment led by Dot.sa Lois Krahn, involved 150 participants, 49% of whom in possession of a pet, and who were asked some questions aimed at investigating the nocturnal habits of each – for example if the animal took a seat next to them in the bed.

What seems incredible is that, according to the results obtained,  only 20% of the respondents said they were interrupted, during sleep, by whining, snoring, or any type of movement of the dog or cat.

On the other hand, a number higher than 50% revealed that the presence of their pet in the bed or in the room  allows them to enjoy a pleasant sleep; according to the results of the study, in fact, the presence of these wonderful animals in the vicinity of the person generates greater safety and comfort.

Among the respondents, some said they feel more comfortable if the animal rests between their legs or on their back. As indicated, being in contact with the color and softness of the fur has a strong relaxing power.

Better to sleep with only one animal

Speaking of the results, Krahn has established with certainty how some people can greatly benefit from resting in the company of their pets. In support of her thesis, the doctor quoted the words of a middle-aged lady who said that the key to her rest is her pets’ tendency to warm her bed before she goes to bed.

Nonetheless, Krahn pointed out that the chances of reconciling sleep increase with the presence of only one animal rather than several;  a higher number of animals could in fact increase the risk of having difficulty sleeping.

However, the doctor pointed out that, although some of the participants ensured that they felt greater comfort thanks to the contact of their cats during sleep, there is no rule that establishes with certainty the connection between a better rest and the close presence of an animal. domestic in the room; in fact, dogs tend to look a lot like their owners, but this is not true for cats.

A revealing experiment

In addition to the research already mentioned, some scientists who were part of the study have ensured that the reason why many pet owners are comfortable in the same room as their pets is because they consider them members. of their own family and that, for this reason, they feel the desire to integrate them into their life, in every possible way.

Furthermore, they revealed that the most common and understandable widespread desire among those who own a pet is precisely to have the animal at their side while they sleep; it has in fact been shown that the human being spends most of his life sleeping.