There are many people who will tell you it’s not a good idea to let your dog share your bed, they site hygiene (not a problem if you regularly wash, worm and flee treat your dog) and dominance (you need to maintain the Alpha of the pack) reasons to avoid it. People with allergies may have more severe reactions if they sleep with their dog.
But for those of us prepare to risk the “Danger” of sleeping with our dogs on our bed is as natural as it is for parents of little humans to let them share their bed and snuggle safely up. Dogs enjoy being part of a pack and the pack sleeps together, for warmth, comfort and protection.
There have been scientific studies into the benefits of letting your dog sleep on your bed (sleeping with your dog), the obvious sense of security by having your best friend and instinctive protector sleeping right next to you when you are at your most vulnerable, especially for women, is a huge comfort and no brainer!
Sleeping with your dog on the bed has also been scientifically proven to reduce stress, anxiety and even depression, in both humans (and dogs) due to the release of the feel good hormone oxytocin, improving mental health. So dogs are natural anti depressants! Factors such as cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure were also positively effected when we share out bed with our shaggy loved ones.
In some cases it also helped improve sleep for those who suffer insomnia or difficulty falling asleep by reducing hyper vigilance and hype rarousal. Studies also proved that the heart beats of dogs and their humans came into sync when sleeping together and the chemicals that promote theta brainwaves giving a deeper more restful sleep were increased in people who shared their bed with their dog.
So what about you? Do you share your bed with your dog? If so what benefits have you experienced? Feel free to share you comments below. Waggy Tails Karen