Mary Allen
Are pets allowed to sleep in bed with the children? Parents often answer this question differently for themselves. However, there is one thing they don’t have to worry about: the children get enough sleep even with a pet in bed.
It is actually said that pets are more likely to disturb us when we sleep. They snore, take up space, scratch – at least that’s the theory. However, this has not yet been properly researched. Until now.
The results of a study from Canada now show that children who share their bed with a pet sleep no worse than other children. On the contrary: They even rate their sleep as more restful!
Every Third Child Sleeps in Bed with a Pet
To do this, the researchers evaluated data from a long-term study on the subject of stress in childhood, sleep, and circadian rhythm. The questioning of the participating children and their parents revealed that a third of the children sleep next to a pet.
Surprised by this high number, the researchers wanted to find out how the society of four-legged friends affects the children’s sleep. They divided the children into three groups: Those who never, sometimes, or often sleep in bed with pets. Then they compared the times they fell asleep and how long they slept, how quickly the children fell asleep, how often they woke up at night, and the quality of sleep.
In all areas, it made little difference whether the children slept next to pets or not. And the sleep quality even seemed to improve the presence of an animal, reports “Science Daily”.
The researchers’ thesis: Children could see their pets much more as friends – their presence calms them down. It has also been shown that adults with chronic pain can relieve their discomfort by sleeping in bed with pets. In addition, pets give a greater sense of security in bed.