A Canadian study published in the journal PLOS One has debunked a long-held myth: dogs do not actually ruin their owners' sleep. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
Over a four-week period, anthropology researchers from the University of Toronto tracked 25 volunteers and their 38 dogs (mainly Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes) in southern Ontario. Both the owners and their dogs were fitted with activity trackers – worn on the owners' wrists and the dogs' collars – to measure the duration and quality of their sleep.
Who is really waking up whom?
The results showed that for almost half of the participants – particularly those with multiple pets who felt they slept poorly – having a dog in the bedroom had absolutely no impact on their sleep quality.
More surprisingly, the scientists discovered that in the majority of cases, it is actually the humans who move first and disturb their pet's peaceful slumber.
Some dogs are better bed partners than others
However, researchers and experts do urge some caution. The Canadian study had its limitations, including a small sample size that focused mainly on Nordic breeds.
In addition, not every dog makes an ideal sleeping partner. Brachycephalic breeds (such as Bulldogs or Pugs), which are prone to heavy snoring and sleep apnoea, or very large dogs that take up the whole bed, can easily disrupt the sleep of those who are light sleepers.
Translated from the FR Wamiz website using artificial intelligence
