Having Problems Sleeping? Your Pet May Be To Blame

Human-Animal Interactions is a journal that recently had a study published showing that people who have dogs are more likely to have sleeping problems. Something similar was also seen with those who owned cats, but dog owners saw it worse.

The people who researched this topic were not completely insensitive to the fact that people love their pets. They say that during the daytime, those animals can help keep a person, but sleep quality will suffer at nighttime.

In a statement, the lead of the study, Dr. Lauren Wisnieski, spoke about how dogs and cats can be beneficial because of the social support they provide. They give companionship and security, which can help a person with anxiety and depression. On the other hand, they could disrupt the sleep of their owner.

The study participants were looked into by scientists from Lincoln Memorial University. They took into account several factors that could affect sleep, including snoring, taking medication, needing more than 15 minutes to fall asleep, and sleeping less than six hours on average.

They also focused on those who live in the United States. Information obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005-2006 was considered.

51.7% of the 5,500 people in the study were female.

They compared those who owned dogs with those who didn’t and found that dog owners had more of a problem sleeping at night. Those issues included sleep apnea, needing pills for sleeping, getting fewer than six hours of sleep at night, and various sleep disorders. Even leg twitching seemed to be affected by having a pet.

Those who owned cats were likelier to have trouble falling and staying asleep, leg twitching, or snoring. They did not have as many problems as those who owned dogs, perhaps because cats tend to be more active at night.

It is thought that this is going to need more research, and that information could help doctors treat those who suffer from low sleep quality. You might also find a simple solution by limiting access to your bedroom at night or crating your pet while you sleep.