Don't let pets disrupt your sleep!
But what happens when these cozy moments interfere with a quality, undisturbed night’s sleep? Perhaps Miss Kitty jumps up and down from the bed all night, or Rover sniffs your face and paws you for attention just as you’ve fallen asleep. This is how the dreamy coziness of cuddling pets can quickly turn into a nightmare!
Most sleep experts recommend that you keep pets out of the bedroom completely in order to maintain a consistent night’s sleep. But I am one in favor of keeping my own little fur balls in bed, and can say that pets in the bed are not all bad. For instance, my kitties are very quiet and out of the way when I sleep – they stay at the foot of the bed, and don’t move at all during the night. If you have your animals trained to do the same, then no worries – keep the little critters around! But if the following issues are occuring with your furry sleep mates, it may be time to reassess your sleep arrangements:
- If you find yourself sneezing, wheezing or itching during the night you may be experiencing an allergic response to having pets in the bed. This is a clear sign to kick Miss Kitty out, and to wash your linens in warm water in order to cleanse the irritants from your bedding.
- If your pet fumbles around all night, and has not adopted your sleep routine – it’s time for them to go. Puppies are especially known to do this, as they experience brief episodes of active & sleep states throughout the day. Until your pooch has become accustomed to your nightly ritual and understands that play time does not happen at night time, then it might be OK to allow him back in.
- If your kitty is a compulsive licker – bathing herself at all hours of the night – it can quickly become an extreme nuisance to you. Who can possibly fall asleep when you hear a wet lick-lick-lick all night? It’s mind numbing to anyone that’s trying to fall asleep. If you find this is the case with your kitty, it’s best to put them out and keep them out! Let her bathe the night away without you!
- If your doggy is not house-trained, they should absolutely NOT be allowed to sleep with you. Unless of course you enjoy cleaning up accidents at odd hours of the night or showing off your jammies to the neighbors. Put the pooch out, work on the house-training, and then reassess at a later point.
- If you ever notice that your dog has become territorial in your bed, you may want to take action fast. You do not want a dog in your bed who startles easily or wakes up defensively snapping. Having a territorial animal in bed who growls or threatens anyone who tries to reclaim a pillow can not only interfere with sleep, but may be a danger as well.