Thoughts From Service Dog and Sleep Experts
Experts — both dog behaviorists and sleep professionals — have weighed in on the benefits of having a service animal available at night to help encourage good sleeping patterns.
Lovelia Horn, a dog trainer and owner of Every Creature Counts, believes it’s a good idea to sleep with your service animal nearby. “Service dogs are known to de-stress their owners by their constant presence, and they can help wake owners up from nightmares,” she says. “They also provide their owner with safety from any unexpected experiences in the night.”
Clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Barbera often works with those dealing with PTSD and insomnia. She feels there are pros and cons to having your dog in bed with you.
“In particular, the dog may move around, which could disrupt an individual’s sleep,” she says. “However, if the individual feels safer and less anxious with the dog right beside them, this could be advantageous to improving sleep. It’s most important to consider the unique needs and/or characteristics of each individual and support dog.”
Dr. Peter Bailey, M.D. suggests having your service dog sleep in a bed next to your own so they are readily available to alleviate stress. “Service dogs are trained to pick up on acute reactions from their owners and can sense when they are in distress. They will instinctively jump onto the bed to comfort you if you suffer an issue during the night.”
Find out more about the amazing tasks that a service dog can handle with this TEDx talk by Sarah Meikle, a trainer of service dogs for those with invisible disabilities such as PTSD.
Service Dogs and Invisible Disabilities
How Can Service Dogs Help With Sleep Disorders?
A service dog can see the signs of disturbed sleep. For instance, they are alert if the owner is tossing and turning or vocalizing. When this happens, the service dog wakes up its owner and provides comfort and a sense of safety.
Service Dogs and Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the situation, but many service dog owners sleep with their dogs in their beds or beside their beds. Service dogs can assist them with nighttime challenges.
From nightmares to sleepwalking, you can benefit from having your service dog beside you while you sleep. However, certain large dog breeds can take up too much of your space. So giving them a bed beside you is not a bad idea.