Should you let pets sleep in your bed? We asked the pros

“Co-sleeping” refers to sharing a bedroom or bed with your pet. With dogs in particular, the worldwide phenomenon goes back many years. The Aboriginal expression “three-dog night” is rooted in humans’ history of relying on dogs for warmth on cold nights, says Bradley Smith, a psychologist and researcher at Central Queensland University in Australia who specializes in canines and their interaction with humans. The estimated number of people who co-sleep with pets ranges from 30% of dog owners to 70% of pet owners overall.

Even though the practice is widespread, it remains a polarizing topic. Some people leave an open door for Fido’s (or Whiskers’) snuggles every night, while others can’t imagine such a sleeping arrangement. We’re here to get to the bottom of it and help you figure out whether sleeping with your dog or cat will help or hurt your sleep goals. Here’s what you need to know.

The benefits of co-sleeping usually outweigh the downsides

Though dogs and people have slept in the same space for centuries, many people believe dogs disrupt our sleep because of our different sleep patterns. Most people follow a monophasic sleep cycle: We sleep for one long stretch at night and stay awake throughout the day. However, most other mammals’ sleep is polyphasic, meaning they have periods of sleep interspersed with bouts of wakefulness throughout the 24 hours. Dogs are no exception, and neither are cats.

Despite mismatched sleep cycles, in one study, dog owners self-reported few to no disruptions throughout the night. Yet activity monitors used in the study found that the co-sleeping dog owners experienced frequent arousals, Smith says. “Arousals don’t necessarily mean awakenings... the data shows movement, and that people are being disturbed [in their sleep], and the dog is the one causing the arousals.” In other words, even if your pet causes you to stir, you might not fully wake up. This could explain why pet owners’ self-reported sleep quality is higher than what researchers objectively measured.

So if people aren’t sleeping as well when their pets are in the room, why do so many still insist on sharing a bed or bedroom? Co-sleeping pet owners “acknowledge that it kind of disturbs them,” Smith says, “but there are too many benefits for them ever to stop.” People who co-sleep with pets may report that it strengthens their bond with their pet, and that they feel safer when the pet is there, says Leanne Nieforth, an assistant professor at the Center for the Human-Animal Bond in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

With dogs, it’s all about training, training, training

If you want your dog to sleep in your room but not in your bed, training is essential, Smith says. Conditioning your dog to go to a designated place at bedtime, such as a bed, mat, crate, or spot on the floor, can help you both sleep peacefully and ease tension if you and your partner don’t see eye to eye on co-sleeping arrangements. Make sure their bed is appealing and comfortable, with enough warmth and cushioning. Our favorite for older dogs is the L.L.Bean Premium Therapeutic Dog Bed Couch, which pairs a memory-foam insert with supportive bolsters. For bigger breeds, our top pick is the PetFusion Ultimate Dog Bed, which offers orthopedic memory foam and a waterproof liner. Once you’ve picked a bed, it’s simple target training, Smith says. Use a clicker or treats to positively reinforce your dog when they go to their bed or their place. With that approach, it should take only a couple of nights, he says. Consistency is key.

If you’re keen on snuggling with your pet most of the time but occasionally want to establish the bed as humans-only, this training is a great plan. Dogs who are used to being invited into the bedroom and onto the bed may not take kindly to a closed door (say, when you and your significant other want some alone time), so a pet-distraction technique may be in order. Introducing new toys regularly with a dog subscription box could be just the ticket. Or get a Kong bell-shaped rubber toy, fill it with peanut butter or moist dog food, and freeze it. Every dog owner we know swears by them for hours (or at least a significant number of minutes) of entertainment.

To transition your dog out of the bedroom, take it slow

Upsetting the applecart can be challenging for pets, who thrive on routine. If you want to train your dog to sleep somewhere other than their usual spot, perhaps because you have a new partner who doesn’t like sharing the bed with a dog, it will likely take time. Try making the new spot as comfortable and appealing as possible, says Leanne Lilly, an assistant professor of clinical behavioral medicine at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. Consider the other spaces in the house where your pet likes to lounge and sleep throughout the day, and make a favorite one even better, she suggests. To create a positive association, try giving your pup new or special toys and treats in their new sleep spot, such as a chew toy or a peanut butter-filled Kong. To help a dog warm up to a new bed more quickly, lay a blanket your dog has already slept on over it so it smells familiar and comforting. Another tried-and-true technique: Wear an old T-shirt for several nights before putting it on the dog’s bed so it smells like you.

Pets also benefit from a gradual transition. If your dog is used to sleeping on the bed with you, try putting their new bed on top of yours and having them sleep there for a night or two. From there, you can “incrementally move [the bed] closer and closer to the door, until it’s outside of the room,” Lilly says. It can take time for pets to adjust, but “for many pets sleeping somewhere separate from their humans is no big deal, as long as they feel safe where they are,” Lilly says.

Cats get a bad rap as bedfellows

Dogs get all the credit as snuggle buddies, while cats get pegged as aloof night owls. Plenty of cat owners would disagree, and Nieforth notes that what little research exists suggests “cats may sleep in beds more than dogs do.”

The reputation isn’t entirely unearned, though. In a 2018 Anthrozoös survey of nearly 1,000 women, cats in the bed were rated as disruptive as human partners and scored lower on comfort and security than dogs. A 2023 study in Human-Animal Interactions linked cat ownership to trouble falling and staying asleep, which lead researcher Lauren Wisnieski suspects comes down to cats being more active at night.

How to make room for your cat in the cuddle puddle

A restless night doesn’t mean your cat has to leave the bedroom. Much of the trouble comes down to nighttime energy and routine, and you can work with both.

Start by tiring them out. Cats are natural hunters, so short play sessions that let them stalk, chase, and pounce can burn off the energy that would otherwise be spent on midnight laps around your mattress. Schedule one right before bed, followed by a meal, to help them settle in. For a hands-off option, the Cheerble Ball Interactive Cat Toy starts rolling the moment your cat nudges it, with three modes to match their energy.

Next, give your cat a designated spot so they’re less likely to sprawl across your pillow. These three beds each have an average rating of at least 4.6 stars from thousands of Amazon shoppers.

If your cat still keeps you up, the fix is usually easier than it is with a dog. Veterinarian Kwane Stewart says cats handle moving to a different sleeping spot with less anxiety than dogs, so closing the bedroom door often does the trick. Some cats will be less accepting, but that’s their nature.

You probably don’t need to worry about sharing germs

If you lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have come across the term “zoonotic disease,” which refers to infections that can pass between animals and humans. The good news is that letting your pet in your bed poses little risk. If you’re reading this article, chances are you care about your pet’s well-being. And among healthy pets and conscientious owners, zoonotic transmission is uncommon. What’s more, for better or worse, if your pet has something like fleas, they’re already in the home, Lilly says. Whether they stay on the living room carpet or make their way to the bed, you risk coming into contact with them, she says.

That risk climbs if your cat spends time outdoors, according to Calico Schmidt, a veterinarian and clinical instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Keep any pet that goes outside on a regular flea-and-tick prevention plan. The CDC also notes that people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk of getting sick from a pet, so if that applies to you, check with your doctor before inviting your pet under the covers.

Illnesses and pests aside, pets that go outdoors aren’t the cleanest. They can track in dirt, among other things, and cats can carry litter from the box straight onto your sheets. If you’re in the habit of snuggling under the covers with Fido or Fifi, plan to do laundry often. Bathing your dog, who is more likely to roll around in the dirt than a cat and is less fastidious about self-cleaning, is also a good practice. As the experts say, you want a clean and healthy pet if you plan to co-sleep.

Keep the bedroom clean if you have allergies

If you’re allergic, there’s no sugarcoating it: The recommendation is to keep pets out of your bedroom or not have one at all. But if you want to co-sleep or live in a studio apartment where any other arrangement is impossible, you can take a few steps to mitigate your sneezing. Use a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to help keep sneezes at bay. HEPA filters effectively remove particulate matter from the air (think allergens and pet dander), which could make all the difference when sleeping with your pet in your bedroom. Our top pick is the Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max, which won Reviewed’s 2025 Best of Year award for air purifiers. In our testing, it excelled at filtering particles while running nearly silently, and its washable prefilter catches bigger particles like pet hair before they reach the HEPA filter.

It’s also wise to launder your bed linens every week. Experts recommend washing with a good detergent and high water temperatures to flush out as many allergens as possible. Regularly vacuuming the bedroom can also help, especially if your vacuum has a HEPA filter. If you’d rather not push a vacuum around every day, a robot can do it for you. In our testing, the Narwal Flow 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop proved a powerhouse for homes with pets. Its tangle-free brushes lift hair that builds up in carpets, and its smart object avoidance steers it around pets and furniture without a bump.

At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all plan

It’s impossible to make a blanket recommendation on having pets in your bedroom at night. With just one person and their pet, there are countless combinations of personalities and behaviors. Add partners, kids, and other pets, and there’s even more to consider. Some people loathe the idea of sharing a bed with their dog or cat; others argue that a pet doesn’t belong anywhere other than the bedroom at night. As with most sleep-related topics, it comes down to your personal preference and your relationship with your pet. After all, you know them better than anyone else.