Your dog or cat may be your best friend and a wonderful companion in and around the house, but you should never let this kind of friendship be the cause of certain health issues around the house. Most people prefer to spend with their feline friends on the same bed, and even though you may see it as a nice way to increase the friendship bond between you, you just don’t know how much it could be costing your sleep.
Some pet owners claim that sleeping with their pets help them to have a wonderful sleep at night, but sharing a bed with pets may not necessarily be a good thing, though a good number of people who do it doesn’t see any problems with it. But let us consider the pros and the cons of sleeping with pets so that you will be well informed should you proceed to go ahead with the practice.
Which pets do people sleep with the most?
It seems that cats and dogs are the best companions when it comes to the pets people are will to take to bed. A study conducted on the effects of the sleeping with pets in the bedroom found that most people found it comfortable and also had some sense of security when they slept together with their pets in the same room, but not necessarily on the same bed.
A possible explanation to this kind of feeling is that most of the pet owners are never around the house during the day, and so at night, they find it convenient to spend some time with their pets in the bedroom. Besides, most of them don’t have any problem knowing that with the pets in the bedroom, their sleep won’t be affected in any way.
Potential problems of sleeping with pets on the same bed
In as much you may desire to spend some time with your beloved pet on the high-quality mattress you just got from Tuft & Needle at Lowe’s, here are some of the potential shortcomings you may encounter-:
Allergies –pets are known to cause allergic reactions to different kinds of people, and if you or any member of your family usually suffer allergic reactions, then you should not just share your bed with your pets, but also not allow them into the bedroom. But if you insist that you must sleep with your pet, then it is imperative to arm yourself with regular allergy shots.
The problem of restless pets
– not every cat or dog will get down quietly at night and sleep till morning. Some are very restless and you can expect that they will be jumping, rolling, barking or howling all the time while in the bedroom. If you were truly tired and you were hoping to catch some sleep, then you will find it difficult falling asleep with the presence of such a pet in your bed or inside your bedroom. If your pet exhibits this behavior, the best thing to do is to let them sleep in another room so that your sleep is not interrupted by them anymore.
Damages in the bedroom–other than the pet being restless, they may also exhibit some behavior such as scratching or biting onto surfaces. This is very common with cats and puppies who will want to scratch anything they can find with their paws. If you have such a kind of a pet, then it will be a huge mistake to let them share the bed or the bedroom with you. The kind of damage they can do to your clothes, or the beautiful mattress you just go from Tuft & Needle at Lowe’s may be huge, and you may regret why you let them come so close.
Where should you draw the line?
Irrespective of whether your dog or cat is well behaved and you can spend with them on the same bed without them disturbing your sleep, people will always have different experiences sleeping with their pets. Again, if your pet is a bother to your sleeping partner, then you may consider not having them in the bedroom. But you should realize that pets do love it when you set them up to sleep on the orthopedic dog bed, and not somewhere enclosed such as in the bedroom.
How to kick out your pets from your bedroom
It may sound harsh, and nearly impossible for some people to kick out their beloved pets from their bedroom, but there are certain things you can do to make the transition easier for both of you. If you are dealing with a dog you have been allowing to sleep in your bed or in your bedroom for a while, it will be a big blow to its ego should you decide to kick them out of where they have grown to be so fond of. One of the best approaches you can do is create a game for discouraging the dogs from the bed, such as giving them attention only when they are on the floor.
But dealing with cats on this is a little tricky, because, with cats, it is either, “all or nothing.” If you don’t want them to sleep with you in your bed, then don’t even allow them to come into your bedroom. This is because once they form the attachment and get used to sleeping on your bed, this is a habit that will take time to break and it will not make them any happier.
Different solutions for different situations
If you have been sleeping with your pets for some time and you don’t have any problems with that, then you could be sleeping with them if that is what you want. However, if you have been trying to sleep with them and you find that they are making it difficult for you to fall asleep, then the best thing to do would be to kick them out of your bed. I guess the last thing you want is to appear tired and dizzy the following simply because your dog couldn’t let you have rest at night.
