You'd be hard-pressed to find a pet owner that didn't have an opinion on sleeping with dogs. Unsurprisingly, lots of pup parents love to take a snooze with Fido close by. And a new study shows that those who love sleeping with dogs might actually be onto something.

Sleeping with dogs

As it turns out, sleeping with dogs nearby may help both the human and the dog sleep better, according to the study, newly published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The research examined the sleep of 40 healthy adults — who were mostly 40-something women —as well as their furry friends. Both the people and the animals wore devices that measured their movement during the night. Lo and behold, the dog owners had some great sleep efficiency, staying asleep for about 81 percent of the time they were in bed. Interestingly enough, the dogs slept even better, with an efficiency of about 85 percent (as if dogs don't have it good enough already!).

“Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” said study coauthor Lois Krahn, M.D. “We found that many people actually find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.”

Sleeping with dogs in the bed

However, it's worthwhile to note that the study found one noteworthy exception: The humans' sleep efficiency was lowered when they allowed their dog to actually jump in bed with them. Considering there are a lot of folks out there that like to cuddle up next to their pets, this might be something to look into the next time you want to have a totally peaceful night. Besides, who says your dog's bed can't be right next to yours?