We don't necessarily brag about it, there may be a little embarrassment behind this practice, for fear of judgement, and yet... many people sleep with their dog or cat.
It is therefore difficult to have a precise idea of the frequency of co-sleeping with your animal.
In the United States, according to a survey dated February 2022,
(study commissioned by the company Sealy and conducted by OnePoll on 2000 Americans)
, this would be the case for 66% of respondents.
And when we ask fans what they get out of it, it's unanimous: a natural hot water bottle, calming, peacefulness, a reassuring side... Like Sylvia: "I sleep with my shih-tzu, it brings me serenity and complicity and I think it's the same on his side.
She often sighs with ease and sometimes dreams while pushing little muffled barks, I find that too cute.
»
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And everyone has their own little anecdote about their animal's preferences: there are those who slip under the duvet, those who appreciate the softness of the pillows, those who are on the bed but without necessarily looking for contact, or those who come to occupy the place when the spouse is up.
Heart rates synchronize
The benefits of sleeping with your dog or cat are real: from a very practical point of view, they are a source of heat, their body temperature being slightly higher than ours.
This is also why the Eskimos sleep with their dogs and why, as Jasmine Chevalier, veterinarian and behavior consultant, tells us: "There is an expression
three dogs night
, to represent a freezing night requiring not one, not two, but three dogs to resist the cold”.
The presence of an animal at his side is also extremely soothing.
Research has shown that the heart rates of a human and dog sleeping together synchronize and slow down, promoting sleepiness and relaxation.
« "Purring is more pleasant than the snoring of a spouse" »
Benjamin
A dog will also bring a feeling of security when you are in the grip of certain nocturnal anxieties.
For singles, the animal is a bulwark against loneliness.
As for people in couples, according to the survey mentioned above, 60% admit to preferring to sleep with their animal rather than with their partner!
Benjamin testifies: “Purring is more pleasant than snoring”.
"It shouldn't be the dog's bed"
For a long time, the rules of education however encouraged not to sleep with his dog, the bed being a privilege which should be reserved for the dominant, namely, the owner.
So what does our behavioral veterinarian think?
“You can get your dog on the bed, but you have to make sure that when you ask him to get off, he does right away.
It shouldn't be the dog's bed, but the human bed.
A good sign is when the dog asks permission before mounting.
The ideal is also not to install a puppy there immediately, at the risk of never being able to go back.
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Jasmine Chevallier continues, however, by warning about two profiles of dogs for whom co-sleeping can be problematic.
The first concerns dogs with a social relationship disorder: being on the bed will no longer be a source of pleasure, but a power issue.
“These dogs will start doing resource protection.
For example, they can tolerate a human in bed but not the spouse.
Some go so far as to growl when the owner moves or turns around under the duvet.
The bed belongs to them and they are in a permanent state of super-vigilance so no one sleeps well”.
In this kind of case, it is essential to prohibit access to the bed, and to the room (in addition to other readjustments in the environment and in the relationship to the animal).
Hygiene precautions to take
The second risk profile is that of dogs who are with their owner all day, and therefore also at night.
“They find it difficult to acquire emotional autonomy, do not know how to be alone.
The permanent link must not become essential to their well-being”.
Beyond these warnings, sleeping with your dog is not contraindicated and will not cause behavioral problems.
The question of hygiene does not seem to preoccupy co-sleeping enthusiasts.
Treatment against external parasites and worms is recommended.
“I clean his paws and underbelly every time we come back from a walk.
And I change my bedding more often”, explains Anne-Marie, about her jack russel Oscar.
As for cats, some of which are very dynamic at night, they do not necessarily manage to adjust to the sleeping rhythm of humans, which can be a source of misunderstandings and nocturnal tensions.
In this case, we isolate the cat outside the room until he understands that at night, certainly all cats are gray, but above all it is time to rest.