Quick answer: for most healthy adults, yes, it is generally fine to sleep with a dog or cat nearby, and some people find it comforting. The research is small and mixed, though. One Mayo Clinic study found that a dog in the bedroom did not wreck sleep, but people slept a little less efficiently when the dog was on the bed itself. Allergies, a weakened immune system, a restless pet and bite risk are the main reasons to think twice.
Quick Fix / Summary
- A pet in the bedroom is not clearly a problem for healthy adults
- A dog on the bed was linked to slightly worse sleep efficiency than a dog elsewhere in the room
- If you have pet allergies or a weakened immune system, keep the pet off the bed or out of the bedroom
- Walk your pet before bed, wash bedding weekly and keep parasite control up to date
- If you are waking up often and the pet is the cause, try a pet bed on the floor first
Who This Is For
- You share your bed or bedroom with a dog or cat and wonder if it is hurting your sleep
- Your pet wakes you with movement, snoring or early-morning energy
- You have allergies, asthma or a weakened immune system and are unsure about pets in the bedroom
- You are thinking about moving the pet out and want to know if it will help
This article is about adults and their pets. For babies and bed-sharing, see is co-sleeping safe, which covers infants separately.
What the Research Actually Shows
The best-known study on this is from Mayo Clinic. In a 2017 Mayo Clinic Proceedings paper, researchers followed 40 healthy adults without sleep disorders, each with one dog. Both people and dogs wore activity monitors for seven nights. The authors concluded that people with one dog in the bedroom maintained good sleep efficiency, and that a dog in the bedroom may not disrupt sleep as had been assumed. Human sleep efficiency was lower when the dog was on the bed than when it was only in the room.
The sample was small, most participants (88%) were women, and the monitors measure movement rather than how rested people felt, so the results cannot be stretched to everyone.
What about cats? Sleep Foundation reports that in one study, women who shared a bed with a dog reported less disturbed sleep than those who shared with a cat, and it describes the overall effect of pets on sleep quality as likely relatively mild. We could not open the original cat study ourselves, so treat that comparison as a pointer, not a firm finding.
Possible Benefits
Sleep Foundation notes that pets may reduce anxiety and loneliness, and that experiences vary from person to person. In one study of veterans with PTSD who had service dogs, 57% said the dog helped ease nightmare problems. The CDC likewise says pets can help manage loneliness and depression by providing companionship, and that walking or playing with pets may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
None of this proves that a pet on your bed improves your sleep. These are comfort and general health findings, and many are observational, so they show an association, not cause and effect.
The Downsides Worth Knowing
1. Allergies and a blocked nose
Sleep Foundation says pets can worsen allergies and that people with pet allergies may want to keep pets out of the bedroom. A stuffy nose also pushes people toward mouth breathing and poor sleep. If you wake up congested, see why your nose gets blocked at night. For the evidence on filtering bedroom air, see whether air purifiers help you sleep.
2. Germs and infection risk
The CDC says pets can sometimes carry harmful germs even when they look healthy. It names children younger than 5, people 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems as more likely to get sick from them, and says pregnant women face a higher risk from certain diseases carried by cats and rodents. Sleep Foundation suggests that people prone to infection, who are immunocompromised or who have open wounds may want to avoid sleeping with pets. If you fall into one of those groups, ask your doctor what is sensible for you.
3. Movement, noise and crowding
Larger pets often sprawl and take up space. A pet that snores, scratches or wanders at 5 a.m. can add to the waking that already happens to many adults. If this is you, why you wake up multiple times at night covers the other common causes, so you can tell whether the pet is the main one.
4. Bites and injury
Sleep Foundation warns that dogs may bite when abruptly woken, and that children are more likely than adults to need medical care for dog bites. It suggests parents avoid letting children sleep with large or aggressive dogs. Small children and small pets also face an injury risk from rolling or crushing.
Should Your Pet Be in the Bed, the Room or Out?
| Your situation | A reasonable starting point |
|---|---|
| Healthy, sleep well, pet is calm | Keep things as they are |
| Waking often, pet sprawls or moves a lot | Move the pet to a bed on the floor in the same room |
| Pet allergies or asthma | Keep the pet off the bed, possibly out of the bedroom, and talk to a doctor |
| Weakened immune system, open wounds, pregnancy or over 65 | Ask your doctor before sharing a bed |
| Large or unpredictable dog, or young children in the home | Keep the dog off the bed |
| Partner disturbed by the pet | Agree on a rule together; see the note on couples below |
If the pet is the source of friction between you and a partner, our guide to sleep divorce looks at what sleeping apart does and does not fix.
What to Do If You Keep Your Pet in Bed
- Walk or play with your pet before bed so it is more likely to settle
- Wash bedding regularly, at least weekly, and keep parasite prevention current
- Make sure the bed has enough room for everyone; a bigger mattress can help (see our side sleeper mattress guide for options)
- Give the pet its own spot as a fallback, so you can move it quickly if sleep gets worse
- Try two weeks with the pet on the floor and compare how you feel; the research suggests the room itself is less of a problem than the bed
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming the pet is the cause without testing it: poor sleep has many causes, so change one thing at a time
- Ignoring allergy symptoms: nightly congestion or wheezing is worth a proper check
- Waking a sleeping dog suddenly: speak first or touch it gently, since dogs may bite when startled
When to See a Doctor
Pets are rarely the whole story behind poor sleep. Talk to a healthcare professional if any of these apply:
- Wheezing, shortness of breath, itchy eyes or a blocked nose that is worse at night or around the pet
- A scratch, bite or lick on broken skin that becomes red, swollen, painful or warm, or comes with fever
- A weakened immune system, pregnancy or another condition where you are unsure about close contact with animals
- Poor sleep, heavy daytime tiredness or loud snoring with gasping that continues after the pet has been moved out
Get urgent medical care for a deep bite wound, bleeding that will not stop or difficulty breathing.
FAQ
Is it bad to sleep with your dog in bed?
Not necessarily. In a small Mayo Clinic study of 40 healthy adults, people with a dog in the bedroom kept good sleep efficiency, but sleep efficiency was lower when the dog was on the bed than when it was elsewhere in the room.
Is it safe to sleep with a cat?
For most healthy adults it is generally considered fine. The CDC notes that pets can carry germs even when healthy, and pregnant women face a higher risk from certain diseases carried by cats, so ask your doctor if you are pregnant or immunocompromised.
Can sleeping with pets make allergies worse?
It can. Sleep Foundation says pets can worsen allergies and that people with pet allergies may want to keep pets out of the bedroom. A doctor can help confirm whether pet allergy is behind your symptoms.
Do pets help or hurt sleep quality?
Both are possible and the overall effect appears mild. Some people feel calmer with a pet nearby, while others are woken by movement or noise. The research is small, so your own experience is the best guide.
Is it safe for babies to sleep with pets?
This article does not cover infants. For safe sleep and bed-sharing with babies, read our guide to whether co-sleeping is safe.
Key Takeaways
For most healthy adults, sleeping with a dog or cat is generally fine, and the research we found suggests the effect on sleep is mild. A pet in the room appears less disruptive than a pet on the bed. Allergies, a weakened immune system, pregnancy, a restless or large dog and young children are the main reasons to change the arrangement. If your sleep is poor, test one change at a time and see a doctor for the red flags above.
About this article
Written by the Sleep Fixes editorial team. We’re not medical professionals. We research each topic against primary sources and hold ourselves to being critical and thorough about what actually makes it onto the site.
Sources reviewed: the Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2017 dog and sleep study abstract, Sleep Foundation’s guide to sleeping with pets, and the CDC’s healthy pets page. We could not open the full text of the Mayo paper, so we rely on its abstract.
It is not medical advice. If your symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, consider consulting a qualified healthcare professional.