I’m going to answer that question based on personal experience: No
Don’t take my word for it, you can hear the pros and cons of sleeping with your pet during a seminar at Rover Oaks Pet Resort this coming Saturday. I’ve posted the information below. The $25 fee for the seminar benefits pet rescue groups.
Here’s my personal experience – whenever I share the bed or couch with my dog, Fuzzball, (which isn’t every night. really!) he fights for space on my pillow or starts whining in the middle of the night and won’t stop until I rub his belly or take him outside for a walk.
That’s probably more information than you want to know about me, but I think sleeping with your pet makes it really tough to get a good night’s rest.
(Houston, TX) – July 12, 2010 – Pets have become such an important part of our everyday lives. Pets have a prominent place in our homes and even our beds. Sometimes there is nothing more comforting than cozying up with your furry companion in bed at night, but is there an actual benefit to sharing the bed with your pet? Rover Oaks Pet Resort is hosting a Pets and Sleep Seminar to highlight the challenges and benefits of co-sleeping with your pet as well as ways in which assistance animals are helping those suffering from sleep disorders.
Dr. Mary Rose, Clinical Psychologist, Sleep Specialist and Director of Psycho-Oncology at the
Baylor College of Medicine Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, will lead two educational
seminars on “Pets and Sleep” at Rover Oaks Pet Resort’s Houston and Katy locations. The
seminars will focus on how the role of animals in our lives has changed over time; the pros and
cons of sleeping with pets; how companion animals may facilitate human sleep and overall well
being; the role that dogs can play in treating human sleep disorders including sleep walking and
pediatric nightmares; and how humans might negotiate the sleep environment with their pets.
Dr. Rose has been involved in the sleep field for more than 20 years. She is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and also holds affiliations with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Houston VAMC, and American Sleep Medicine. “Our relationship with the family pet has been changing dramatically,” says Dr. Rose. “Co-sleeping with animal companions has become the norm in many households. Though the benefits of bonding, comfort and feelings of safety to both pet and human is great, co-sleeping may also adversely affect sleep for some. Understanding the challenges and benefits of co-sleeping may help negotiate the family bed with one’s pet, and ensure a good night sleep for all,” says Dr. Rose.
Rover Oaks will host the Pets and Sleep Seminar at both their Katy and Houston locations. “We are excited to offer this seminar to our clients and to animal lovers throughout the community,” says Steve Smith, President of Rover Oaks Pet Resort. “We are passionate about pets and strive to offer informative and educational activities to help strengthen and enhance the bond humans share with their companion animals.”
The Pets and Sleep Seminar times and locations are as follows:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Rover Oaks Katy
1011 S. Katy-Ft. Bend Road, Katy, TX 77494
Thursday, July 22, 2010
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Rover Oaks Houston
2550 West Bellfort, Houston, TX 77054
The fee for each seminar is a $25 donation to Schnauzer Rescue of Houston, the Poodle Rescue of Houston or to Canine Companions for Life. For more information or to sign up for the seminar, call Rover Oaks at 713-662-2119 and select option 6 to speak to a representative.