There’s nothing quite like coming home and being bombarded with love by your pet pooch, because let’s face it – many of us prefer dogs to other humans.

And the bond between pet and person is mutual, because dogs love their owners so much that they dream about them. Adorable.

Over the last year, many Brits who are now working from home have decided to get a cute canine for company and cuddles. And a new study has found that having a snooze with your dog and letting them sleep in your bed is actually great for your health as it benefits your sleeping pattern.

Researchers from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York analysed data from 962 American women about their sleeping habits and found that 57% of those participating slept with another human, 55% snuggled up with a dog and 31% snoozed with a cat.

The women who slept with a pet pooch actually had a better night’s sleep than their human and cat cuddling counterparts. They were also more likely to have an early night and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.

The scientists said: ‘Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner’s bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security.’

Cats, however, appear to be as disruptive as humans and were ‘associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners’. Interesting.

So if you find yourself tossing and turning at night next to your other half, this study is basically telling you to get a dog instead.

Sold.

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