Mayo study: Your dog might help you sleep better

(KMSP) - Man's best friend could also be sleep's best friend, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus studied 40 healthy adults and their dogs for five months. Both the dogs and people wore activity trackers to record their sleeping habits for seven nights. 

The small study found some people who slept with their dogs in their bedroom, slept better. But don't let your pooch snuggle up with you in bed just yet, the sleep benefit comes from just from having your dog sleep in your bedroom. Those who let their dogs sleep in the bed with them didn't sleep as well.

“The relationship between people and their pets has changed over time, which is likely why many people in fact do sleep with their pets in the bedroom,” said Dr. Lois Krahn, who authored the study. “Today, many pet owners are away from their pets for much of the day, so they want to maximize their time with them when they are home. Having them in the bedroom at night is an easy way to do that. And, now, pet owners can find comfort knowing it won’t negatively impact their sleep.”

For more information, check out the study.