According to this study, women sleep better when they curl up next to a dog

For or against letting your dog curl up with you when you go to bed? Dog owners have differing opinions. Those who let their dogs curl up with them will be happy to learn a recent study supports the idea.

Led by Christy L. Hoffman, Kaylee Stutz and Terrie Vasilopoulos from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, the study was published on 13th November in the scientific journal Anthrozoös.

The researchers collected and analysed data on sleep patterns and quality of 962 women living in the United States. 55% of participants curled up with at least one dog, 31% with at least one cat and 57% with a human partner.

According to the authors of the study, having a dog on the bed was less disruptive than sharing a bed with a human partner. What's more having a dog sleep on your bed provides a sense of comfort and security.

According to the article, this may stem from dogs' ability to deter intruders and alert their mistresses of potential threats. The authors also claim that women who have at least one dog on their bed maintain more regular sleep patterns, something that's already known to be beneficial.

However, this isn't the case for cat owners. Felines were 'perceived as disruptive as human partners' and provide a lower sense of comfort and safety compared to dogs and humans.