Do Not Let Your Pets Sleep with You: Experts Say Why

Pillow tucked in. Comfort light on. A cozy night dress and you are all set to squeeze into the happy place for the night. But wait, where’s that pet of yours? If guesses don’t turn wrong, it is right there on your bed welcoming you for that bit of snuggle and cuddle before bedtime. But this is certainly a lot more than a cute companion. Having a pet has been related to bringing down circulatory strain, cholesterol levels, reducing the triglyceride levels, and sentiments of depression. A recent study has proved that keeping pets on the bed might affect your health.

Dr. Lois Krahn said in one of his studies how the pattern of animals sleeping in your homes affects the humans. He has found out different patterns. He also mentioned that in usual cases, the pet owners do not complaint when pets cuddle up on their beds or disturbing them in their sleep. A study was conducted in which 40 owners who had a single dog were considered for a span of 7 days. Within these 7 days, the sleep and wake times were evaluated. Around 88% of the participants in the study were women and the average age was 44 years.

All of the owners were given a monitor that was to be worn on the wrist. This device on the wrist would detect the movement. A sleep diary was also maintained during the study. When the pets remain of the bed, the owners are more likely to wake up at frequent intervals. All the time individuals are woken up by their pets and find the pet is strolling on them, moving around, squirming in bed, or wheezing. There are a few pets that get under the covers, and that awaken the owner.

The researchers found out that when the dogs slept in the same room but not on the bed, the owners slept well. The efficiency of sleep was higher and the wakefulness time after sleep was also lower.

The dogs were also given an activity monitor called “FitBark” to detect their movement. No such changes in their activity were noticed. During the whole process, the pet owners were not provided with the insight into the dog’s activity data. The research also concluded that there was no significant change in the sleeping pattern of the dog irrespective of the location.  

In a study, it was found out that in the United States, more than 60 percent of the households have a pet dog, and 50 percent of those dog owners are fine with their pets sleeping on the bed along with them. Researchers say that out of 250 diseases that are transmitted to humans from animals around 100 of them are caused due to physical contact with the pet animals. Sometimes due to lack of maintenance the pet animals acquire staph and parasites on their body which get transmitted to humans.

Bubonic plague

Bubonic plague isn't only for European history books. Felines and mutts can even now convey the bugs that spread this sickness, and resting by them puts you in danger. At the point when our pets share our beds, those bugs can hop into their fur and then into our sheets.

From 1977 to 1998, there were 23 archived instances of human bubonic plague that could be credited to the domestic pets! Unfortunately, five of these instances of the plague were lethal. Ensure your pet is getting those general outings to the vet to maintain a strategic distance from these sicknesses in any case.

Parasite attack

You might be keeping your pet at the pinkest of their health. You never miss to schedule those vet appointments, order that heartworm medication, and get those walks into the vet for a checkup. You know how much sick your dog might get if attacked by a parasite like a hookworm or a roundworm. So being this amazing pet owner you are, you are taking care of every health issue of your pet. However, are you following the same for yourself?

On the off chance, if your pet gets infected by a parasite like a roundworm, the parasite's eggs are on his furry coat. When he cuddles up by you, those eggs could shed off into your sheets and settle into your skin.

The risk of meningitis

In 1985, a 60-year-old lady living in the UK got meningitis and she admitted that she frequently used to kiss her dog on the mouth. There is an instance of another case where an infant was analyzed after the family’s cat was utilized as the baby’s pacifier as a toy.

The staph infections

Genuine staph diseases like MRSA can be passed from creatures to people. MRSA is a microscopic organism that is impervious to numerous anti-infection agents, making it hard to treat. Dogs and cats can convey these microbes in their mouths and saliva.

A 51-year-old lady in Japan was found to have a staph contamination in her ear. Specialists confirmed that her puppy contaminated her when she let her canine lick her stitches that were from her recent medical procedure.

The common reason why people allow pets in the bed

Knowing all these, there would be people who will stick to their old habits. There are some people who make a point to settle for a separate bed for the pets. Once that habit is acquired by your pet, there are lesser chances of breaking that and shifting to your bed. Researchers say that the humans are to blame when it comes to the dog to adopt the habit of sleeping with the owner. A bad relationship or someone being single gets comfort when the pet sleeps along with them. There is a sense of security that is often felt by children who are afraid to sleep alone when the pets are on their bed. The bond is created and who minds some extra warmth on a cold chilling night with some unconditional dose of love.