Your Dog Might Be Losing Sleep Because of You, Study Finds

There’s something undeniably cozy about letting your dog crawl into bed at night. The warmth, the soft breathing, the feeling that you’re both sharing a little pocket of peace. Yet, if you’ve ever blamed your four‑legged companion for a restless night, you might want to rethink that story.

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Duke University decided to put the question to the test – literally. They strapped small fitness trackers onto 25 people and 38 huskies and malamutes, then let them sleep together for four weeks. The goal? To see who was actually causing the most midnight movement.

When the data rolled in, the answer was surprisingly clear: humans moved first 45 percent of the time when both owner and dog shifted together. Dogs, on the other hand, kicked off the disturbance a measly 18 percent of the time. In other words, we’re the fidgety culprits, not our canine sidekicks.

What makes this finding even more interesting is that half of the participants reported, via post‑study surveys, that their pets were ruining their sleep. The objective measurements—total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and even how long the dog actually slept—showed no significant difference whether the pooch was on the bed, the floor, or a room away.

It turns out dogs can act as natural “zeitgebers,” those biological cues that help us stick to a regular bedtime routine. So while your French bulldog with a snore that could rival a freight train might seem like a nightly nuisance, the science says the real sleep thief could be you.

The takeaway? Stop pointing fingers (or paws) at your furry friend when you’re groggy in the morning. Maybe consider a calmer bedtime ritual for yourself—less scrolling, a dimmer lamp, a stretch or two. Your dog will thank you with a few extra minutes of uninterrupted REM, and you might finally get that uninterrupted slumber you’ve been chasing.