Canis

• Perhaps the cat curls up at the end of your bed.
• Maybe the dog dives under the duvet or pops their head on your pillow.
• But if you do share your bed with Fluffy or Fido, what what does science suggest is best practice?

Disturbed Sleep

• One challenge of sharing your bed with your pet could be disturbed sleep.
• The movement of sleeping partners (two or four-legged) may lead to reduced sleep efficiency, although a bed large enough to accommodate all can mitigate this.
• Encouraging your pet to sleep elsewhere, but within the bedroom could also be beneficial if sleep disturbance is affecting your wellbeing.

Bed bugs

• These ectoparasites might hop from our pets to us and either cause transient or more prolonged irritation.
• Indeed, we can even share infections with our pets – including COVID-19 – so it’s not all one-sided.

Allergies and injuries

• Minor, unintentional injuries such as scratches can occur.
• Contact with dust and dander from pet hair can be prolonged when in close proximity.

Keeping it clean

• Advice suggests that at least weekly washing of bed sheets is good practice.
• If you share your bed with pets, washing bedclothes every three to four days is suggested.
• The fur and feet of our pets can be contaminated with dirt and pathogens too.

It’s bedtime

• Balancing the potential downsides of sharing a bed with your pet, with possible benefits is important to assess whether it is a good choice for you or not.
• With good hygiene and management, the choice to share your sleep with your pet might just give you both a great night’s sleep.

Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup and member of the Dog Health Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.