Humans and animals share a unique relationship based on love and mutual understanding. But according to new study a study published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Relations this relationship might be costing you restless nights. The research, led by Dr Lauren Wisnieski of Lincoln Memorial University, USA, focussed specifically on pet ownership in the USA. Dr Wisnieski, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Research and Affiliation, found that having a dog was associated with greater odds of having a sleep disorder and having trouble sleeping while having a cat was associated with a higher chance of having leg jerks.
Dr Wisnieski said, “On the one hand, dogs and cats may be beneficial for an owner’s quality of sleep due to the social support that pets provide – pets offer a sense of security and companionship. “This cross-sectional study aimed to determine if there is an association between dog and cat ownership and sleep quality and sleep disorders – including consideration of aspects such as snoring, waking up during the night, needing pills to sleep and leg jerks.”
She also suggests that the differences in the association of sleep quality and cat verses dog ownership may be because cats tend to be more active at night.
Furthermore, she found that there were fewer differences in sleep quality indicators between cat and non-cat owners compared to dog and non-dog owners.