Should You Sleep With Your Dog on an Alaskan King Bed?
Alaskan king beds offer a large sleeping surface that can fit the whole family, including your fur babies. Most dog owners let their four-legged best friends sleep with them. However, some people are not a fan of this, which is why we wanted to discuss whether sleeping with your pets is a good idea.
Read on to learn all about the benefits and downsides of sleeping with your dog on your Alaskan king bed.
The Benefits of Sleeping With Your Dog
Sharing a bed with your furry best friend has several benefits, mostly for your mental well-being. Here is why sleeping with your dog may be a good idea.
It Provides Comfort and Security
Your dog’s steady heartbeat, warm body, and protective nature make them an ideal sleeping partner. Since your dog is always on alert, you can sleep soundly, knowing they will let you know if something is off.
A sleeping habits survey in women showed stronger feelings of comfort and security when sleeping with their dogs compared to human co-sleeping partners. These feelings of safety and comfort translate to better sleep.
It Eases Stress and Anxiety
It’s hard to fall asleep when you are stressed and anxious. Interacting with your pets can improve your mood, regulate heart rate and blood pressure, and lower cortisol, which is a hormone linked with stress responses.
So, letting pets in your bed can relieve stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation. These effects should help you fall asleep easier.
It Helps With Depression
Insomnia and depression often go hand in hand, as people with mental health issues often struggle to get sufficient sleep. A meta-analysis examining the effects of animal-related activities on our mental health found that people who performed activities with their dogs experienced fewer depressive symptoms.
Studies show that interacting with your dog causes your brains to release a chemical called oxytocin. This hormone is linked with positive emotional states, which is why it could help fight off depression and improve your sleep as a consequence.
It Strengthens the Bond With Your Pet and Reduces Loneliness
Allowing your dog to sleep in your bed lets them know they are a part of the pack. In addition, most people include pets and cuddles in their bedtime activities, which induces oxytocin release. As we mentioned, this hormone is responsible for positive feelings, and it also strengthens the bond between you and your pet.
If you like a bed snuggle partner, sleeping with your furry friend can reduce the feelings of loneliness, and their companionship is an excellent way to boost your sleep quality.
It Promotes a Healthy Heart
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US, which is why it is vital to take care of your heart. Since sleeping with your pet promotes feelings of relaxation, it has the potential to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.
In addition, your furry friends require regular walks, which additionally contributes to better heart health.
It Could Prevent Allergies in Children
One of the downsides of sleeping with your dog is that they may bring different allergens like pollen and dust into your bedroom. However, some studies show that exposing your children to dogs in early life could prevent later allergies and the development of atopic dermatitis. It appears that contact with dogs strengthens their immune systems, so letting everyone sleep together on your Alaskan king bed may be a good idea.
Downsides of Sleeping With Your Dog
Although inviting your furry friend to bed has many benefits, there are some downsides like possible injuries, spreading germs, aggravating allergies, and disrupting sleep quality.
Risk of Injuries
You may roll over in your sleep and injure your dog. In addition, your pet may react unexpectedly in this situation and scratch or even bite you. Scratches can happen even if your dog is asleep.
So, there is a small risk of injury, but you can minimize it by getting a larger sleep surface. The kind that an Alaskan king bed provides.
Allergies
Some people have dog allergies, so sleeping with their furry friends is not a good idea for them. In addition, dogs can carry pollen, dust, dander, and other allergens that may irritate you during sleep.
Using pet wipes and cleaning their paws with a towel may eliminate some of the allergens and let you rest more comfortably.
Sleep Disruption
Since dogs are alert even when they sleep, they awaken easily. That’s why they wake up many times during the night and change position often, which can disrupt your sleep.
Buying an oversized bed like the Alaskan king could prevent this. However, if your dog frequently awakens you and it’s hard for you to fall back asleep, you may need to evaluate co-sleeping with your pets.
Germs and Bacteria
Bacteria, fungi, and parasites can spread from pets to humans and vice versa. However, experts highlight that regular grooming, vet visits, and changing your sheets often are enough to keep the parasites away. So, if you do these, the risk of spreading diseases is minimal.
How to Sleep With Your Dog
If you like sleeping with your dogs, here are a few tips on how to do it safely and prevent the downsides:
- Have a large sleeping surface
- Walk your dog before bedtime
- Keep your pet clean to avoid allergens
- Use pillow and mattress protectors
- Wash linens regularly
- Don’t skip vet visits
- Train your dog to wait for a signal to get on the bed
- Correct aggressive behavior in the sleeping area
- Establish the part of the bed where they are allowed
The Best Bed for Sleeping With Your Dog
Sleeping with your furry best friend has many benefits, and a larger sleep surface can fix most of the potential downsides. The Alaskan king bed is 108 inches wide and 108 inches long, so there is enough sleeping space for the whole family, including pets.
Our artisans have extensive experience handcrafting premium-quality mattresses using only the finest ingredients. When you combine their skills, unique design, and the quality of materials, you get a product that can completely transform your bedtime comfort. Feel free to take a look at our mattress selection and choose your favorite model.
