Having a pet may make you happy, but it’s likely taking a toll on your sleep

According to a study published on March 16 in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, while pets can have several positive effects on health, owning a pet may lead to poorer sleep.

The study, which analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adjusted for various factors that could impact sleep, including age, gender, BMI, race, and income.

The study focused on whether individuals had a sleep disorder and whether they owned a cat or a dog.

Poor sleep quality was measured by various factors such as snoring or snorting, sleep disorders, trouble sleeping or falling asleep, waking up frequently, waking up too early, feeling unrested, insufficient sleep, need for sleep medication, or leg jerks or cramps.

Indicators of poor sleep also included taking more than 15 minutes to fall asleep and regularly getting less than six hours of sleep.

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