Sleeping with pets boosts chances of a good night’s sleep

An Australian study has found you are more likely to get a good night sleep if you share your bed with a pet rather than another person.

Researchers at the Central Queensland University conducted an online survey asking 13,000 people about their sleep patterns, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation says.

According to the lead researcher Professor Drew Dawson, 70 per cent of respondents said they were regularly woken at night, and a partner was more likely to be the reason than an animal.

"Partners were more likely to be disruptive than pets, and particularly people reporting partners who snored and partners who got up to go to the toilet and therefore turned the lights on," he said.

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Meanwhile, a separate study conducted at the University of Massachusetts found that a good night's sleep makes you more likely to have positive memories.

An article by the Daily Mail explains that researchers split 70 young adults into two groups, allowing one-half to sleep and keeping the other awake.

The two groups were shown positive images of things like puppies and flowers and neutral images of furniture and crockery, and asked which they remembered 12 hours later.   The positive images were much stronger for the well-rested participants.

"Results showed sleep enhances our emotionally positive memories,’ Professor Rebecca Spencer is quoted as saying, adding: "‘Positive memories may even be prioritized for processing during sleep."

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