Survey reveals sleeping habits of people with pets

For a lot of pet parents, bedtime means getting ready for a night of sharing the bed with your furry friends. Of course, there are also pet parents who are adamant that the dog doesn't belong in the bed. Whatever party you fall into, we really do get it. And thanks to a new survey, we have a better idea of the true sleeping habits of people with pets!

Thanks to a survey conducted by researchers for Veterinarians.org, we know even more about the sleeping habits of people with pets than ever before. The survey looked at responses from 1000 pet parents, looking to determine everything from why dog owners might co-sleep with their pet to how many of these owners actually do allow their pets in the bed. And some of the findings were actually surprising.

One of the most interesting revelations was that "76% of American dog owners allow their dog to sleep on their bed at night." Honestly, I did not expect that number to be quite so high, and yet it was not nearly as surprising as the fact that there are people who don't allow it who actually feel a sense of guilt over it. According to the survey, "Among dog owners who do not allow it, 26% feel guilty about their decision."

So what else did the survey reveal about the sleep habits of dog owners? And why do we let our dogs into the bed or why do we say no to these habits?

Survey reveals that about 76 percent of dog owners co-sleep with their pets at night

Some of the other key findings from this survey include:

"Nearly a third (32%) of married pet owners say they disagree with their spouse on whether or not to allow pets to sleep on the bed at night.

56% of married pet owners say they experience their best quality of sleep when they share their bed with both their dog and their human partner.

33% of married pet owners say their best quality of sleep comes from sharing their bed with only their dog.

The top reasons dog owners provided for co-sleeping with their dog revolved around it helping to reduce feelings of stress (67%), anxiety (60%), and loneliness (59%).

Not all pet parents are interested in co-sleeping with their dog at night. The top reason given by those who prefer to keep the dogs off the bed revolved around the matter of germs and cleanliness, with 45% of survey respondents citing this concern."

- Veterinarians.org survey results

It makes a lot of sense that people are sleeping with their dogs to lower anxiety and stress. We already know that dogs can be great for emotional support, so even if your pet is not an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), that doesn't mean that they can't be beneficial for your mental health.

For those dog owners who don't allow their pet to sleep in their bed, it also makes sense that cleanliness is a big reason for keeping their furry friend out of the bedroom. Much like we change out of our street clothes to keep the grime of the outside world out of the bed, we would have to clean our dogs every day in order to keep their coats clean enough to let them spend the night.

Co-sleeping with a dog (or even a cat) can be difficult for some people and it is important to know what you can handle as a pet owner. While we have no issue with our furry friend cuddling with us at night, it can have its own challenges, including the fact that if you are a lighter sleeper, your dog might wake you up if they get out of the bed or even if they move around in the bed. Knowing your dog and how they sleep can make things easier for you if you are co-sleeping with your pet.

But we want to know what you think of these findings. Do any of these findings surprise you? Are you someone who allows the dog to sleep in your bed?