Are Pets in the Bedroom a Problem?

Krahn, Lois E.; Tovar, Marlene; Miller, Bernie W.

doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.012

Cited by 24 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…The same is true for human-human co-sleepers [1]. Additionally, like their human-human co-sleeper counterparts, many pet owner co-sleepers believe their pets help them relax and feel more secure, thereby enabling them to sleep better [3,[19][20][21]. Co-sleeping is also associated with stronger owner attachment to the dog [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Human-Animal Co-Sleeping: An Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Dogs’ Impacts on Women’s Nighttime Movements

Hoffman

Browne

Smith

2020

Animals

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Simple Summary: Humans commonly share their beds with companion animals, yet little is known regarding how pets impact sleep. In survey-based studies, pet owners report that their dogs favorably affect sleep quality, but prior actigraphy-based studies of human-dog co-sleeping have concluded the practice can lead to sleep arousals and disturbances and, thus, reduce sleep efficiency (i.e., the ratio of time spent asleep in a night as compared to the time spent in bed). We examined actigraphy data from women and dogs and sleep diary data to investigate the apparent disconnect between objective and subjective reports regarding dogs' effects on sleep. We also analyzed data minute-by-minute to assess whether dog movement impacted the likelihood the human would transition from an inactive to active state. We found associations between human and dog movement over sleep periods and that dogs influenced human movement more than humans influenced dog movement. Humans were largely unaware of their dog's nighttime movements, and they rarely reported that their dog awakened them during the night. Additional research on more diverse samples and studies that use polysomnography and behavioral observations are necessary for developing a better understanding of how pets affect the quality of human sleep.Abstract: Humans regularly enter into co-sleeping arrangements with human and non-human partners. Studies of adults who co-sleep report that co-sleeping can impact sleep quality, particularly for women. Although dog owners often choose to bedshare with their dogs, we know relatively little about the nature of these relationships, nor the extent to which co-sleeping might interfere with sleep quality or quantity. In an effort to rectify this, we selected a sample of 12 adult female human (M = 50.8 years) and dog dyads, and monitored their activity using actigraphy. We collected movement data in one-minute epochs for each sleep period for an average of 10 nights per participant. This resulted in 124 nights of data, covering 54,533 observations (M = 7.3 hours per night). In addition, we collected subjective sleep diary data from human participants. We found a significant positive relationship between human and dog movement over sleep periods, with dogs influencing human movement more than humans influenced dog movement. Dog movement accompanied approximately 50% of human movement observations, and dog movement tripled the likelihood of the human transitioning from a non-moving state to a moving state. Nevertheless, humans rarely reported that their dog disrupted their sleep. We encourage the continued exploration of human-animal co-sleeping in all its facets and provide recommendations for future research in this area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Human-Animal Co-Sleeping: An Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Dogs’ Impacts on Women’s Nighttime Movements

Hoffman

Browne

Smith

2020

Animals

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“…In a 2015 study, involving 150 patients with significant sleep disorders, 49% of participants reported having pets and of these, 56% allowed pets in the bedroom. While 20% described their pets as disruptive to sleep, twice as many (41%) perceived their pets as unobtrusive or beneficial for sleep (Krahn et al 2015). Participants who described their pets as beneficial, especially those who did not co-sleep with a human, reported that their pets provided them with security, companionship, and relaxation that aided their sleep.…”

Section: Sleep-positive Influences Of the Human/pet Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It may also increase a pain patient's feelings of isolation and being a burden to other family members who may have to take on more nighttime dog care responsibilities. Addressing the current evidence gap will assist healthcare practitioners and pain patients who wish to practice human/pet co-sleeping, develop strategies for optimal sleep outcomes (Krahn et al 2015). The specific aim of this study is to explore chronic pain patients' experiences and beliefs about the impact of their pet dog(s) on their sleep.…”

Section: Sleep-positive Influences Of the Human/pet Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studying human/pet co-sleeping and the general influence of pet ownership on sleep overall is important on many levels. The practice of co-sleeping alters the sleep environment by introducing additional sound, movement, odor and sources of body heat/temperature change (Krahn et al 2015). Co-sleeping increases an individual's vulnerability to disturbances (such as snoring or toilet visits of a partner), which may lead to sleep deficiency and subsequent impairment in daily function .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, 32% of Canadian households have one or more dogs (Consumer Corner 2014) and as many as 90% of pet owners identify their pets as a family member and include them in as many aspects of their lives as possible (Ferrie et al 2011;Walden 2015). For many, including people with sleep problems and people with pain, this includes sharing a sleep environment (Duthuluru et al 2014;Krahn et al 2015). A study of 300 patients with sleep disorders found that 52.3% participants had one or more pets, primarily cats and dogs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Undercover Dogs: Pet Dogs in the Sleep Environment of Patients with Chronic Pain

2018

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1) Background: Chronic pain is a significant and prevalent condition in many industrialized nations. Pain and sleep's reciprocal nature suggests that interventions to improve sleep may decrease pain symptoms. Little attention has been paid to the influence that owning a pet dog has on the pain/sleep relationship. Typical advice to remove pets from the bedroom negates the possible positive benefit of human-animal co-sleeping. Aim: To investigate pain patients' perceived impact of pet dog ownership on sleep. (2) Methods: We carried out a content analysis of interview data focused on the impact of pet dog ownership on sleep. The qualitative dataset comes from a subgroup of participants in a larger study examining the pain patient/canine relationship. This subgroup of participants from the larger study was asked, "Does your dog have a positive or negative impact on your sleep?" The data were thematically coded using an iterative approach. (3) Findings: Codes included: companionship; physical presence/'cuddles'; routine/schedule; distraction from anxiety/worry at night; reassuring/protective presence; active intervention to keep participant safe; daytime activity to promote sleeping at night; and reciprocal concern for the sleep of the pet dog. (4) Conclusions: Pet dogs may play important roles in helping people with chronic pain achieve sleep onset and maintenance. Removing the dog to improved sleep could be counter-productive and lead to additional sleep-related issues.

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Reigning Cats and Dogs

Lefebvre

Ellis

2018

Beyond One Health

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Are Pets in the Bedroom a Problem?

Cited by 24 publications

References 1 publication

Human-Animal Co-Sleeping: An Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Dogs’ Impacts on Women’s Nighttime Movements

Human-Animal Co-Sleeping: An Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Dogs’ Impacts on Women’s Nighttime Movements

Undercover Dogs: Pet Dogs in the Sleep Environment of Patients with Chronic Pain

Reigning Cats and Dogs

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