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Everyone loves having someone to cuddle with at night, but a lot of us have to settle for our pets. Kind of sad, right? Maybe not so much. There are perfectly good reasons to sleep with your pets when you’re all alone, and also some reasons why it might not be such a great idea. Check out these pros vs. cons and decide for yourself.
Pros:
You’ll Be Less Lonely
Nobody likes to be alone—unless you’re fresh out of a horrible relationship, then it might seem like the best things in the world – so resorting to your pooch or cat might seem like the next best option. It’s true that having an extra body next to you at night, whether it be four-legged or two, will make you feel like you’re less alone in the world.
You’ll Feel Safer – And Might Actually Be Safer, Too
Unless you’re the proud mama of a ferocious feline this one only applies to the dog lovers out there. Most dogs are naturally protective of their owners, so having a dog sleep next to you at night can also mean having an extra warning system in case of danger. As humans we’re at our most vulnerable while we sleep, but dogs are quick to rouse from slumber when danger is near so they’re great at notifying you in case of intruders or fires.
They’ll Keep You Warm
If all else fails, your pets are good to have around on a cold fall or winter night. They might roll around and refuse to allow you to move, but they’ll provide an extra layer of warmth when they’re by your side. The stubborn ones that like to sleep on your legs work the best.
It Will Improve Your Health
This one can actually go either way, but let’s focus on the good side for now. Sleeping next to your dog or cat has actually been shown to have a myriad of health benefits from lowering your blood pressure to reducing stress and just making you happier overall. That’s because companionship, whether it be with people or animals, along with physical contact causes the levels of the hormone cortisol in your body to drop.
Cons:
They’re Cover Hogs
No, your pet won’t purposely try and pull the covers off of you in the middle of the night—at least we hope not—but they will lay on them in ways that’ll make you roll right out from under them. A heavy dog or even a light cat can weigh down your covers so much that you can’t even pull them tighter to help you warm up, at least not without dumping your pet off the bed—and that just wouldn’t be very nice now would it?
They’ll Sleep on Your Face
Anyone who’s owned a cat knows what we mean. After a long night’s sleep you wake up to find that your cat has found his perfect spot—right on your head. If not on it, they’ll at least try to sleep right next to it. It’s kind of cute how they like to be close to their owners, but we can’t help but wonder if cats aren’t secretly trying to suffocate their owners while they sleep.
You’ll Wake Up Sneezing
This should go without saying, but if you’ve got allergies you really should’t be owning a pet, much less sleeping with it. The bad news is that even if you don’t have allergies, that doesn’t mean you won’t develop them down the road. If you’ve been allowing your dog or cat to sleep with you in bed and suddenly find you can’t handle the dandruff, good luck breaking them of the habit. Once they’ve made their home on your bed, they’ll remain there for life. Just ask anyone who sleeps with their pet.
You Could Get Sick
Just like sleeping with pets can give you health benefits, it also poses serious health risks. That is, of course, if you don’t take the proper steps to keep your pet healthy. If your pet is infected with fleas, ringworm, cat scratch disease or even staph infections they can easily pass it on to you in your sleep. It’s best not to sleep next to an animal if you have any open (or even closed) wounds.
