Led by associate professor Christy L. Hoffman ― a self-professed dog person (sure, go ahead, call out her blatant canine bias) ― the researchers surveyed 962 women living across the United States. Of this sample, 55 percent reported sharing their bed with at least one dog and 31 percent with at least one cat. Of those women, 57 percent also slept with a partner.
The participants filled out a questionnaire about their quality of sleep and how safe they felt as a result of their dog or cat’s presence. Those with partners were asked how the other person affected their sleep and their feelings of security at night.
After analyzing the data, Hoffman and her team found that human partners and cats were equally disruptive to a woman’s sleep, whereas dogs were less likely to wake their owners up.
Why’s that? Hoffman told HuffPost it might be because dog owners tend to have better sleep habits and stricter daily routines than than people who don’t have dogs: On the whole, dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake-up times than women with cats.
“Dog owners have to adjust to their dogs’ needs to toilet each morning, and this helps keep dog owners on a relatively strict wake-up routine,” she said. “And dogs’ major sleep periods tend to coincide more closely with humans’ than do cats.”
Plus, Hoffman said, dogs as bed partners may adapt a bit more to their owners’ schedules than human partners do. (Such good boys.)
Pups also may provide women with a greater sense of safety than a cat would when sleeping.
“Some dog owners may take comfort in the thought that their dog will alert them in the case of an intruder or other type of emergency,” Hoffman said. “A cat is less likely to take on this role.”
Right. Good luck trying to train your kitty to meow aggressively if a stranger barges in.
If you’re scratching your head as to why women felt more safe with a dog on watch than a human partner, you’re not alone: It surprised Hoffman, too.
“I had thought participants would have rated their dogs and human partners similarly in terms of the comfort and security they provide, but surprisingly, the women rated their dog bed partners as better sources of comfort and security than human partners.”
Why focus on women alone for this study? A previous study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona already found that all people who slept with a dog generally got better sleep. For this one, Hoffman and her team wanted to hone in on women’s experiences because as a whole, the group tends to have poorer sleep quality than men.
There was a logistical reason, too: Though the study was open to everyone, less men were willing to participate than women. (The guys were probably too busy disrupting their partners’ sleep. Ahem.)
"This is Stitch! We adopted him from Paws In The City in Dallas, and he has quickly become the best part of our little family." -- Hallie Noble, Stitch's mom (Follow Stitch on Instagram)
"Here's Dusty on his adoption day! This photo was taken the actual MOMENT I met him. Can you believe that!? When he was rescued by True North Rescue Mission, he was on his way to be a puppy mill dad and live his entire life in a cage." -- Jessie Ruane, Dusty's mom (Follow him on Instagram)
"Meet our beautiful boy, Benjamin (he's the one to the right). He is a year old. He is a pitbull mixed with a labrador. We rescued him about seven months ago. He was badly abused as a baby and would wet himself for no reason. Now he's a happy, playful, loveable sweetie. He's enjoying his life with his two pupper siblings!" -- Rossanne Van Schalkwyk, Benjamin's mom
"Here's our dog, Penny. This is the moment in the elevator at Bideawee's adoption center in New York when we knew we had found the perfect little girl." -- John Sechrist, Penny's dad (Follow Penny on Instagram)
"Henrietta (Henry) came into my life in January of this year, after she was found wandering on the streets in East Oakland. At first she was very nervous -- she hid in the bathroom for the first week! She's still shy around strangers, but now she loves cuddles, chasing squirrels, getting blow dried after baths, and her toy fox." -- Laura Alexandra, Henry's mom (Follow Henry on Instagram)
"Roxy is full of energy and love and brings us so many laughs. We've also met most of our friends through her! She keeps us social."- Sarah Brown Carter, Roxy's mom (Follow Roxy on Instagram)
"This is Rex. His previous owners told the rescue group they did not have the means to take care of him. He had trauma to his neck we think was from a shock collar, and more around his belly where we think he had been pulling out his fur. The group warned us he was afraid of strangers and very shy, and that we should expect several weeks before he warmed to us. But by the time we had filled out the paperwork, he was happy to leave with us. I don't know what it is. He really is standoffish to strangers, but he attached himself to my wife, son and I immediately. It's been almost two months now. He is all healed up, and still likes to chill upside down." -- Dan, Rex's dad
"Meet Fluke, a former rescue that was adopted by our family in November 2017!" -- Josh Patrick, Fluke's dad
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"This is Dandelion the dog! We adopted her at the Oregon Humane Society through their second chance program. Dandelion was transferred to the Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter in California." -- Úna Rose, Dandelion's mom
"This is Cora. We adopted her through the BISSELL Pet Foundation event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She came there through Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control. We don’t know much about her exact background except she’s had a litter or two. She has a playful, sweet energy. My fiancé, her dog and three cats, myself, and Cora are all settling in quite well!" -- Kasey Blauwkamp, Cora's dad
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"This is Hazel, a Husky-Alsatian living in Oakland. My family is quite obsessed with her!" -- Hannah Evans, Hazel's aunt (Follow Hazel on Instagram)
"The first time we took Oliver on a car ride, he was shaking and crying (we assume because the only time he had ever been in a car before was to take him to the shelter). Now he loves car rides because he knows he's going to get to see a new friend or go play somewhere!" -- Jenna Gunselman, Oliver's mom
"This is Marty. We went to the shelter looking for a dog as a companion for our handicapped labrador, Zoe. We met a few puppies who were too high energy and stressful for her condition so we left, feeling defeated. As we were walking out, Zoe dragged us over to Marty's pen. Both their noses touched, tails wagging, and we knew they had to meet. They were instantly as ease around each other and Marty was even careful around her, almost aware that she needed special attention. He was a perfect fit for our family." -- Christina Haberkern, Marty's mom (Follow Marty and Zoe on Instagram)
"My dog Suki on adoption day and nine years later. I love that Suki has been a major support for me, especially for my mood disorders. Suki has been with me since freshman year of high school, all through college, and now my adult life. No matter what, she always provides the best cuddles I could have ever asked for." -- Martha Gutierrez, Suki's mom
"This is Kodak! He’s a four-month old black lab/shepherd mix. He came to ALIVE Rescue Memphisfrom Animal Rescue Corps. They had saved him from a hoarding case in Tennessee. I saw his picture and instantly fell in love! He looks just like my 14 year old lab/mix named Ocho did when she was a puppy." -- Candice Shearman, Kodak's mom (Follow Kodak and his siblings on Instagram)
"Otis is my best friend. He's a furry shoulder to cry on and he is my reason to smile again. When I first saw his little face a year ago, I knew he was the one for me and it was the best decision I ever made." -- Bethany Mitchell, Otis' mom (Follow Otis on Instagram)
"Meet my dogson, Wicket the Ewok dog!" -- Nicci See, Wicket's mom (Follow Wicket on Instagram)
"This is Bella. The photo on the left was taken as soon as we got to the shelter. She was a mess: coat matted and long, she couldn't even see, but we fell in love! We took her home, cleaned her up, and now she's a healthy, happy puppy. I love her little smile and how her tongue always sticks out of her mouth!" -- Krystal K., Bella's mom
"My wife Jen and I rescued Benny from CareTX in San Antonio, Texas. They saved him from a kill shelter in San Antonio. He and his litter were found on the street. Benny was shy and suffering from mange when we first met but those goofy ears and sweet eyes won us over. He is some mix of cattle dog, very active and has no trouble keeping up with me for hours on my mountain bike. We are a pretty active hiker, camper, fly fisherman family so having an active dog fits our lifestyle, despite the lack of cattle." -- Brandon Engen, Benny's dad
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