Sleeping with Your Pets: Pros and Cons

A survey conducted by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that roughly one-third of homes in the U.S. have a dog, while about one in four have a cat. Clearly, our culture places a high value on our four-legged friends. Many people even allow their pet in their bedroom at night, and it is common for them to share a bed. If you choose to sleep with your cat or dog, you should be aware of how their presence might be affecting the quantity and quality of your rest. In this blog post, we will touch on some advantages of sleeping with your pet, as well as the possible negative relationship between pets and sleep apnea in Melbourne.

Sleeping with Pets: Possible Advantages

The Mayo Clinic conducted a study to learn about how dogs affect sleep. The human participants were all in good health and without any sleep disorders. In general, the people slept best when they shared a bed with their significant other. A medium-sized dog was in the room, but not allowed to share the bed with them.

Other research has shown that many people experience a feeling of warmth and security when they sleep with a pet. Those feelings, in turn, may facilitate higher-quality rest. This may be especially true for children and people who do not sleep with a human partner.

Disadvantages of Sleeping with Pets

The abovementioned Mayo Clinic study revealed that sharing a bed with a dog can disrupt sleep efficiency. Sleep efficiency is a ratio that compares time spent in bed with time actually asleep. The disruption was not severe for most people.

There may be additional disadvantages to sleeping with a pet if you have obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea causes pauses in breathing throughout the night, which are due to tissues collapsing in the upper airway. If you have allergies to pet dander, sleeping with your fur baby could irritate your respiratory tract and worsen your apnea symptoms. That, combined with the disruptions caused by your condition and your pet’s movements, could greatly lessen the quality of your sleep.

Tips for Sleeping with Pets

Here are a few tips for sleeping with your pet that can minimize the adverse effects on the quality of your rest:

• Do not allow your pet on the bed with you. Instead, create a cozy sleeping place for them in another part of the room.
• Keep your bedroom as clean as possible to minimize pet dander. Also make efforts to ensure that your pet is clean.
• Make sure you keep up with your sleep apnea treatment. An oral appliance may be a better option than a CPAP; CPAP machines have wires and hoses that a pet could easily chew on or get tangled up in.

Inviting your pets into your bedroom is a personal decision. Whatever you choose, you should be aware of how your decision may affect the quality of your sleep.

Meet the Sleep Apnea Expert

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. For more than 10 years, he has been helping patients conquer their obstructive sleep apnea via oral appliance therapy. If you have questions about sleep apnea or how to manage it, he would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our Melbourne office at 321-313-5350.