This week in sleep news …
Sleeping with your dog could be making your sleep worse
In bad news for dog lovers, a new study suggests that co-sleeping with your dog may reduce your sleep quality, and the more pets someone owns, the worse they sleep. Researchers had 1,500 people complete a questionnaire assessing their self-reported sleep habits, with half of respondents reporting sharing a room with a pet. When comparing responses between the group co-sleeping with a pet to the group who slept without one, they found the pet group was associated with poorer sleep characteristics such as poorer perceived sleep quality and worse insomnia.
Researchers then looked at this data comparing owners who slept with cats versus dogs. They found that, while dog owners all reported poor sleep quality, worse insomnia, and poorer sleep efficiency, cat owners reported no difference at all. In fact, cat owners reported better sleep efficiency.
Researchers discover four different sleep types
A new study tracks the implications of sleep on long-term health. Researchers surveyed over 3,600 people over the span of 10 years about their sleep, asking them to self-report sleep patterns, how tired they felt during the day, and any chronic health conditions. Using these responses, they identified four distinct categories of sleepers based on different combinations of conditions: good sleepers, weekend catch-up sleepers, insomnia sleepers, and nappers.
Good sleepers enjoyed great duration, a regular sleep routine, and efficiency in getting to sleep as well as waking up. Weekend catch-up sleepers had lower-than-average sleep durations but caught up on weekends. Insomnia sleepers had trouble sleeping, were tired during the day, and took a long time to fall asleep. Finally, nappers usually slept well but took frequent daytime naps.
When looking at their dataset and categorizing them through these types, researchers found more than half of the study participants were insomnia sleepers or nappers. Those who remained in the insomnia category over the length of the study were more likely to develop a range of chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Researchers suggested that the public would benefit from education about the benefits of good sleep, as well as the link between poor sleep and poor health.
In fun sleep-centric news ...
Wall Street has long been known for its grind culture, but one Goldman Sachs partner is making headlines for his commitment to sleep and wellness.
In sleep-centric social media news …
What’s the worst sleep you’ll ever experience? TikToker Delaney shares her short list of the worst nights of sleep you’ll go through. Her number one? The night before an early flight.
