Did you know scientific evidence shows that pets are essential in improving humans’ physical and emotional health? The interaction of humans with pets is always observed to be heartwarming and loving.
Spending time with pets is beneficial for us, but it may be surprising for you that sleeping with pets has certain drawbacks.
Sometimes your dog, cat, or any other pet wants to sleep in your lap, and you can’t ignore them in such scenarios but training them to sleep separately is best for you and your pet.
Today’s article will explain five reasons you should not sleep with your pets if you want a healthier lifestyle.
Keep reading.
Sleeping With Pets:
Although many people prefer to sleep with their cat or dog, no doubt sleeping with your pet is a personal choice; you must be aware of the drawbacks of sleeping with them along with the benefits. Risking your health while sleeping with your pet is not worth it.
Did You Know? Research shows that about 35% of children share their beds with a pet, and almost 56% of people reportedly sleep with their pets.
5 Reasons You Should Never Sleep With Your Pets:
Here we will explain the five most common and worth mentioning downsides of sharing your bed with pets that no one will ever want to ignore.
1. Germ Exposure
As we know, pets have furs, and animals are the most common medium of disease transmission.
When you take the pet on a walk with yourself, let them play outside, and involve them in outdoor activities along with yourself, there are more chances that they will bring home microorganisms such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
These microorganisms are primarily harmful and transmit not only a few but many diseases to humans called zoonotic diseases. Therefore, you and other home members are at high risk of suffering from infectious diseases, especially when sleeping with them.
2. May Cause Allergies And Diseases
Many do not favor sleeping with pets because most pets such as cats and dogs are the transmitters of many diseases and allergies. There are specific types of parasites in every pet’s fur, so sleeping with them can pass these parasites to you; as a result, you can be faced with numerous health issues.
Most people are allergic to pets, and such people are more at risk of medical issues by sleeping with them than other people. Because whenever you take the pet on an outdoor visit, there is a great chance that your pet will bring dust, pollens, and other substances with themselves that are the leading cause of allergies.
It is also worth mentioning that when pets lick or kiss your face, it increases the rate of getting allergic or infectious diseases.
The (NIEHS) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences explains that one should not allow their pets into bedrooms because their dander and hair may fall on your bed or other portions of your room which could lead to an increased risk of allergies, especially those who are allergy prone.
Be Proactive: It is essential to visit the doctor regularly and request allergy tests if you have a pet at your home.
3. Adverse Effect On Sleep Quality
The sleeping pattern of pets and humans is different; therefore, most pet owners admit that their pets wake them up at midnight at least once. This could make co-sleeping with your pet the worst experience for you.
The pet snores, releases gas, and kicks as well, which can significantly disrupt your sleep quality.
When a pet causes an allergy, you may suffer from sneezing and stuffy noses that also reduce the time of your sleep and keeps you feeling tired and sleepy.
A study shows that 20% of pet owners claim they are deprived of good quality sleep when sharing their beds with their pets.
4. Co-sleeping May Cause Injury
It is often observed in various cases that the pets unintentionally cause injury to their owners while sleeping with them. Most commonly, children suffer from this condition. The pets may show potential aggression by biting the people, which could cause injury to you or your little ones.
Sometimes the cats and dogs may bite or scratch the baby, and would require an emergency visit to the hospital.
5. May Ruin Your Relationship With Your Partner
In most cases, the most common reason for not letting your pet sleep with you is your partner. Not all partners want pets in their homes, and some don’t like to sleep with pets because everyone has a different nature; thus, we can’t blame anyone.
Sharing your bed with your pet may not affect you but can cause disturbance to your partner; therefore, it is better to make a soft separate attractive bed for your pet where it can sleep without affecting you or your partner’s peaceful sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can sleeping with pets be harmful?
Co-sleeping with your pet is somewhat harmful because it causes allergies and diseases and sometimes disturbs your sleep quality. Therefore most of the time, doctors advise you not to share your bed with pets.
2. Are pets in the bedroom a problem?
Many studies show that the sleeping of pets in the bedroom can be a problem as their sleeping can alter the room’s environment; hence your sleep quality disrupts.
3. What is the most loving pet?
Cats, dogs, horses, and rabbits are considered the most loving pets.
4. Should dogs sleep in your bed?
Sleeping with dogs on your bed has specific harmful effects, such as it causes sleep deprivation, injury, exposure to germs, and various diseases and allergies.
Last Words:
Most animals are humans’ best companions; their presence around you makes you feel loved, trusted, and stress-free. On one hand, pets provide physical and mental comfort to their owners but at the same time sleeping with pets has serious issues as well.
But what if your dog paws and snores and you are looking for a dog bed?
In this article, we have discussed five reasons why you should not sleep with your pets. These downsides are germ exposure, injury, affect sleep quality, may ruin your relationship with your partner, and may cause allergies and diseases; therefore, letting your pet sleep on a separate bed or crate is the best decision.
You may say that my dog sleeps against me, and now he has the habit of sleeping every night with me but remember training him now is better than facing any health risks and dangers of sleeping with dogs in the future.
Leave a Reply