Should You Let Your Pets Sleep in Bed With You? Here’s What Experts Have to Say

Many pet owners consider their furry friends more than just animals — they are family. From celebrating birthdays with puppies to planning vacations around them, dogs are deeply woven into our lives. Even allowing them to sleep in our beds reflects this strong emotional bond.

But that last bit — should pets sleep bed with their owners or not — remains a debated topic among pet parents.

Letting a dog or cat sleep in bed is a personal choice. However, it comes with certain considerations. Experts told Newsweek that it depends on the pet’s behavior, health, and whether sleep quality is affected. Some owners have no trouble co-sleeping with their pets. Others, however, report sleep disruptions or negative side effects.

Pros and Cons of Sleeping With a Pet

“There is no single recipe for one approach,” said Khris Erickson, CPDT-KA, from Wisconsin.

“Some people avoid letting their dogs on the bed,” she added. “It may interfere with their sleep, trigger allergies, or take up their side of the bed.”

When considering should pets sleep bed with their owners, behavior plays a key role. Erickson explained, “Some dogs may start showing resource guarding. They might growl or snap at their owner if they move, or when someone enters the room — even when another person gets close.”

“If that is the case, bed privileges should be taken away.” However, for people who can coexist comfortably with their dogs, togetherness on the bed is surely a sweet experience.

“It creates more intimacy between the dog and the owner and also allows one to readily discern when the dog needs to go out for a potty break or when it is not feeling well during the night,” she said.

She added that the claims linking co-sleeping to separation anxiety are unfounded. “I haven’t seen any studies that support such a claim,” she explained. “My own dogs sleep in my bed, and I’ve never experienced separation anxiety issues with them.”

‘Sleep Can Be Disturbed’

Mary Burch, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and AKC Family Dog Director, believes the person—not the dog—should make the decision.

“Some dogs sleep quietly on one side of the bed or at the bottom and don’t move much during the night,” said Burch. “Others, however, sleep right next to their owner, paw at them for attention, or shift around restlessly. That kind of movement can easily prevent people from getting a full night’s rest.”

Health Considerations and Sleep Quality

Aside from behavior, health factors matter too. The AKC warns that co-sleeping may worsen allergies and slightly increase the risk of illness transmission between pets and humans. These cases, however, remain rare.

Sleep studies reveal that people who share their beds with dogs often wake up multiple times during the night. Dogs naturally cycle between sleep and wakefulness many times per hour, which can interrupt human sleep.

How to Get a Pet Out of the Bed

If you plan to move your pet to a different sleeping spot, do it gradually, Erickson and Burch advised.

“It’s much easier to set a ‘no-bed’ rule from the start than to remove the privilege later,” Erickson told Newsweek.

Before bringing a dog or puppy home, all household members should agree on furniture rules and stick to them. Dogs who never experience sleeping on the bed are less likely to desire it later.

Erickson also emphasizes the importance of providing a comfortable sleeping space for your dog.

“Try an orthopedic bed or even a crib mattress,” she said. “They offer support similar to a human bed and are far more appealing than thin, flat dog beds.”

When discussing whether should pets sleep bed with their owners or not, Burch suggests using training cues. She told Newsweek that setting a bedtime routine helps. “Take the dog out one last time and then say, ‘Go to bed.'”

She also recommends consistency. “Follow the same routine every night,” she added. “Take the dog outside, come back in, and direct them to their bed with a simple command.”