Is Sleeping with Your Dog Beneficial to Your Health?

Pets are the most common friends of humans in this generation, More than 60 percent of Americans have one pet or the other in their various homes. Pets help in reducing stress in humans by serving as a loyal company and best friends. The feeling of having someone you can trust helps in boosting the immunity of humans.

There is an increased life expectancy in people living with their pets and increased prognosis of various diseases such as asthma and hypertension in kids and adults. Some people have taken having pets such as dogs to the next level by sharing their bed and comfort zone with them. Dog training is an important part of the safety of sleeping with your dog. You will want to be sure that you can trust your dog to obey your commands to ensure that he sees you as the leader of his pack. Dog obedience training can make life with your dog a true joy.

This latest development in the human-pet relationship has raised a lot of eyebrows in the medical world concerning its safety. More than 50 percent of Americans sleep with their dogs on the same bed(American Pet Association).

There are a lot of health benefits of sleeping with your dog on the same bed. Some people are concerned about zoonotic transmitted diseases that can be transferred from the dog to humans. There are special pets houses that could be placed near your bed. There are a lot of fears that discourage people from letting their dogs sleep on their bed because of the risk of infection transmission.

Benefits of Sleeping With Your Dog

Despite the numerous fears of infection transmission if you allow your dog to sleep on your bed, There are numerous health benefits of sleeping with your dog for both the dog and the pet owner. What if I tell you that you can enhance your immune system and make your best friend (dog) happy all with one action(Sleeping with your dog). Some of the most crucial benefits of sleeping with your dogs include:

1. Comfort: There is something different about our bed and environment when we sleep with our dog around us. There is this sense of comfort you experience because your .loyal and a trustworthy friend are around to keep your company. The presence of your dog on your bed makes the bed and environment more cozy and comfortable. If you are not sleeping with your dog, you are missing out on this great benefits/
2. Cure Insomnia: Insomnia is defined as the inability to sleep due to stress, overthinking or any other medical condition. Most people have a hectic lifestyle and are too tired to fall asleep. There are different medications and sedatives to cure insomnia for different age groups and degree of insomnia. Consistent intake of medications could cause a lot of side effects and financial strain on the cheapest way to cure insomnia is to sleep with your dog. Sleeping with your dog’s helps in relieving stress and stimulating the release of dopamine and serotonin which helps us to relax and sleep better. They help us to keep safe and eliminate all the etiologies of your insomnia. If you want to sleep better and cure your insomnia, get a dog or invite your dog into your bedroom.
3. Anxiety: The invention and trend s of therapy dogs in the medical world have been used to eliminate various anxiety disorders in people. If you are suffering from an anxiety disorder, sleeping with your dog could help you eliminate these disorders.
4. Eliminate Cold: Dogs are often known for their clinginess to humans. They can give you that extra warmth you need on that chilly night. There is no harm in having an extra teddy bear to hug during a cold night. Dogs can help you feel warm during extreme weather conditions. If you are planning for winter or cold weather condition, keep your dog in mind.
5. Depression: The major etiology of depression is lack of self-worth, care, love, and attention. Dogs are well known for the unconditional love they offer to humans. They are very loyal, loving and caring. One of the best ways to alleviate depression is to have a friend that shows you unconditional love, care, and attention without expecting anything in return. If you are lonely or depressed, sleeping with your dog could be the solution you have been searching for all this while.
6. Safety: We all feel safe when we are aware of an extra presence watching over us in our room or secluded places. Have you ever wondered why people especially ladies walk in groups? There are a sense and feeling of being safe we all feel when we have someone beside us. The presence of your god in your room makes you feel safe by being sure your best friend is watching over you. It gets more interesting when you are sure your dog would bark at the sight of any stranger. This is an opportunity to enjoy your sleep with the confidence that your guardian angel (your dog) is watching over you.
7. It benefits the dog:  Sleeping with your dog is beneficial for both the dog and its owner. Dogs also enjoy the company of a friend o their owner. It has been discovered that there is increased mood and happiness in dogs when they see their owners or when they open the door to their home.
8. Exercise Motivation: Consistency in the exercise department could be very difficult especially for people with hectic work schedules. Your dog could become your personal fitness trainer and exercise motivator.  Dog owners have been discovered to be less prone to obesity and various cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Dog owners enjoy these benefits because they need to take their dog for a walk several times per day.
9. Socialization: Pets generally helps us to improve our socialization skills by giving us available topic for discussion during the boring conversation. It has been discovered that conversations are easier when the conversant have a lot in common to talk .have you ever be stuck in a conversation with a stranger, friends, date, or loved ones?  Talking about your dogs could be a way out of this dilemma.

Contrary to the public opinion and fears about sleeping with your dog, There are many health benefits of inviting your loyal and caring dog into your bedroom .it is both beneficial for the dog and its owner. Make yourself happy and healthy today by keeping your dog close.

References

Arehart-Treichel, J. (1982). Pets: The Health Benefits. Science News, 121(13), p.220.

Iffy, L. (1975). Satire: “Food for Humans and Pets.” JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 232(11), p.1125.

Jenks, S. (2015). Studying Pets’ Cancers May Yield Health Benefits For Humans: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 107(11), p.djv355.

Petpartners.org. (2017). Benefits of the Human-Animal Bond | Pet Partners. [online] Available at: https://petpartners.org/learn/benefits-human-animal-bond/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].

Research, N. (2017). Animals play an important role in many people’s lives and often help with therapy, rehab, etc. Learn more about the possible benefits of pet companionship.. [online] National Center for Health Research. Available at: http://www.center4research.org/benefits-pets-human-health/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2017].