Dog and cat owners may be more likely to experience disturbed sleep compared to those who do not have pets, research suggests. Scientists in the US also found having a dog was associated with greater odds of having a sleep disorder, while cat owners had a higher chance of having leg jerks, also known as restless leg syndrome.
The team said its work, published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, suggests pet ownership may have a negative impact on sleep quality in certain circumstances. Lead author Dr Lauren Wisnieski, of Lincoln Memorial University, said: “Prior studies on the association between pet ownership and sleep quality and sleep disorders have varied results.
“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, which may result in improvements in levels of anxiety, stress and depression. Yet on the other hand, pets may disrupt their owners’ sleep.”
