Small study finds dogs in bed did not measurably affect owners’ sleep

Researchers at the University of Toronto tracked the sleep activity of 25 people and 38 dogs for about four weeks.

The dogs sometimes slept in their owners’ beds, and the team compared activity recorded by wrist and collar devices with owners’ views of their sleep.

The measurements showed no noticeable effect from the dogs on how long or how well their owners slept.

Many owners said they felt safer with a dog nearby, which researchers suggested might help explain the results.

People and dogs often became active at similar times during the night, but people usually started moving first, suggesting they may disturb their dogs more often than the reverse.

The study was small, had no comparison group without dogs, and did not directly observe behavior, so its findings are limited.

It offers some evidence that sharing a bed with a dog does not necessarily harm an owner’s sleep, but does not settle the question for everyone.