Mayo Clinic study finds people sleep better with their pets nearby but not in the bed with them

Pet owners have strong feelings about allowing their pets to sleep with them or not. For those on the pro side, here’s a piece of good news—a recent study by the Mayo Clinic shows it’s just fine to have your dog nearby while you sleep.

But there’s a caveat: The dog should sleep in the room, not on the bed, according to a Sept. 12 article on Today.com.

In the study, 40 adults and their dogs wore motion sensors for seven nights and were studied for a total of five months. The data showed sleep efficiency was better for the people if their dog was in the room.、

“The relationship between people and their pets has changed over time, which is likely why many people, in fact, do sleep with their pets in the bedroom,” says Lois Krahn, a sleep medicine specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine on the Mayo Clinic’s Phoenix campus and an author of the study. “Today, many pet owners are away from their pets for much of the day so they want to maximize their time with them when they are home. Having them in the bedroom at night is an easy way to do that. And, now, pet owners can find comfort knowing it won’t negatively impact their sleep.”