If thinking about Fido sleeping alone in a different room makes you toss and turn at night, we have good news! There are health benefits to sleeping next to your dog.
In a time where most of us are feeling a lot more stressed, anxious and lonely than usual, dog experts at tails.com have some good news! Having your dog sleep beside you in bed is actually a lot more beneficial than you might think.
Newborn puppies huddle together because that’s where they feel the safest and most comfortable – it’s in their nature. When your dog wants to sleep beside you, it’s because she considers you ‘part of the pack’. But she’s not the only one who benefits from snuggling at night! Here are five reasons why sleeping with your furry friend next to you might improve your health and well-being.
1. Being close to your dog can reduce depression
Dogs are their own kind of antidepressant. Spending time with your pup – even just gazing into her eyes – releases oxytocin. Commonly nicknamed ‘the love hormone’ or the ‘the cuddle hormone’, oxytocin is released when you look at your dog – and the feeling is mutual. So if just looking at your dog makes you happier, imagine what a cuddle will do!
2. Dogs make you feel safer
A survey carried out by Policy Expert showed that 41% of people feel safer when they live with a dog, and 75% feel as if having a dog reduces the likelihood of their house being broken into.
You’re at your most vulnerable when you’re in bed, especially if you live alone – so chances are you’ll feel safer if you have your pooch snuggled up beside you. That feeling of safety and security is also bound to result in a good night’s sleep too!
3. Dogs can ease stress and anxiety
Hard day at work? When we climb into bed at night, we have a tendency to worry and overthink, which results in a not-so-great night’s sleep. Spending time with our dogs, whether it be taking them for a walk, or having them beside us in bed can lower our cortisol levels, which is the hormone our body releases when we’re stressed out.
Lower cortisol levels don’t just come with mental health benefits either! The release of cortisol can cause heightened blood pressure, which can lead to several complications including heart attacks, strokes and memory issues.
4. Dogs can sleep through the night
If one of your main concerns is that you’ll be woken up in the middle of the night by a fidgety pup, then you don’t have to worry! Like us humans, dogs naturally produce melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Even though your pooch might take considerably more naps during the day than you do, she’s still likely to sleep through the night with minimal disruptions. In fact, she might sleep more soundly knowing you’re close-by than she would in another room!
5. Dogs are warm
Having your dog sleep beside you in bed can save on your heating bills! Dogs have a higher body temperature than us, averaging between 37.8-39.17 degrees Celsius, making them the perfect alternative to a hot water bottle (which goes cold after a while, anyway) or a pricey heating bill!
