Dogs have earned the title of man’s best friend for a good reason. They provide company, love, and comfort like no other. But dogs are so much more than family pets these days—they serve as therapy companions, emotional support providers, and even assist police in life-saving search and rescue missions.
During the chilly months, many dogs snuggle up on their owners’ beds seeking warmth and refuge. Yet, this behavior doesn’t stop when the temperature rises; summer nights often see our furry friends curling up close for affection and reassurance.
The wish to sleep on your pillow comes from a mix of natural instincts and emotional bonds that deepen your connection. This little habit benefits not only your dog but also you.
Why dogs sleep together to regulate body warmth
By instinct, dogs prefer sleeping in groups; it’s their way of feeling safe. This communal rest helps regulate their body temperature and strengthens social bonds. When your dog consistently chooses your pillow, it is a clear sign of affection and trust.
Experts from La Red Zoocial explain that dogs rest near their humans seeking closeness, love, and a sense of security. Thanks to their incredible sense of smell, dogs recognize familiar scents that calm them down.
As veterinarians at Veterinarias San Juan share, “When our dog picks our pillow, it’s showing us that it feels safe and protected in our presence.”
The emotional and health benefits of sleeping with your dog
An American Pet Products Association study found that 41% of dogs share their owners’ beds. Smaller to medium-sized breeds are more likely to enjoy this cozy habit. While opinions vary, the general consensus is positive when hygiene and health measures are in place.
Dr. Gabriel Rojas, a veterinarian from Ottovet clinic in Bogotá, says sleeping together does not usually cause health problems as long as allergies are managed and good hygiene routines are maintained for both pet and bed. Also, keeping vaccinations and parasite controls up to date is key.
Interestingly, dogs can have a calming effect, helping owners fall asleep faster and sleep more peacefully.
How sharing your bed with your dog improves well-being
Studies have shifted away from the old belief that having pets in your bed disrupts sleep. Instead, many people report sleeping better and feeling safer with their canine companions close by, according to the Sleep Institute.
Sharing your bed with your dog encourages the release of oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” which promotes relaxation, happiness, and emotional bonding.
It also reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, making it especially beneficial for those struggling with anxiety or depression.
Beyond the chemistry, the simple presence of your dog provides a sense of companionship, enhancing your overall sleep quality and emotional well-being.
On a personal note, I’ve noticed how my own dog’s quiet breathing next to me helps ease the tension of the day. There’s a comfort in knowing someone is there—unconditionally loyal and calm—that helps me drift off more peacefully than any book or meditation app could. This small comfort has become a nightly ritual I cherish.
Does your dog have a favorite sleeping spot close to you? Why do you think pets choose to get so close at night? Share your stories and thoughts below. Have you felt your sleep improve thanks to your furry friend? Join the conversation and spread the warmth by sharing this article with fellow pet lovers.
My Border Terrier sleeps on my pillow behind my head and we both sleep well.
I have a border terrier chihuahua mix rescue. She pulls back the covers to get underneath with her favorite glow in the dark ball. It is our funny & reassuring nightly ritual.
Mine does the same thing. Charlie is the light of my life
When my fur baby visits my little nephew my little Maltese he sleeps with me all the time like he sleeps with his mama when he’s at home There’s no other for us to sleep he is the only living being that I don’t mind breathing in my ear when I’m sleeping with his head is on my pillow we rest greatly together 🥰
Same here. My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel won’t have it any other way. When I wake up during the night my first move is reaching out to that area and making sure that he is still around when he has changed positions. He wanders around but returns faithfully to the top of my head to breathe down on me at seven o’clock (goodbye alarm clock) to receive his morning ear twiddles and the promise that a brief outing in the back yard and his consecutive breakfast are imminent. I would not miss it for the world!
My dog has to have a paw on me at night even though he moves around. He is also very alert. The only problem is that if he hears something unusual at night he wakes me up to go check it out lol.
🤩 I experience the same, my dog wakes me up in the middle of the night to check on if she concerns on kids or anything else.
Me also… Same problem.. He wakes me up to checkout and check in… LOL
Every dog that has slept with me, or us, had to be touching one of us. I think it’s comforting for them to touch us. I think that in a pack, they would touch one another for security-and
love.
That is very nice to read but ive only just lost my fur baby at the beautiful age of 19.5 yrs. She were like my second skin and she passed in my arms. She were 19.5yrs going on 9.5 yrs. My sweet girl my bed was her bed and out of all the chairs in the house thay were hers to.
Prayers for this sad time for you. I know its still early and no one can replace her but getting a new fur baby helps heal us. Prayers 🙏
I am so sorry for your loss.
When enough time has passed I hope you find a new friend who will carry on your very personal traditions.
I’m so very sorry prayers to you
What breed of dog. I have a 16 year old Aussie/Heeler. I’ve had him since he was 2 months. He is my everything, and I am his! Sorry for your loss!!! It’s going to break my heart when Bo goes!
I couldn’t fall asleep without my Chihuahua Skippy curled up against me in bed. Her occasional soft sighs and her soft breathing comforts me and gives me a strong feeling of security and peace. I’ve always said that it wasn’t a coincidence that dog spelled backwards is God.
For real, wow, explains it all; they are godly. Nothing more amazing than a doggies love. They’re my world.
This article is spot on. I have two dogs who sleep with me. One is a timid rescue who quietly climbs up next to me and puts her head on my pillow. My other one spoons around me. Such peace and instant relaxation. We nap a lot on my days off LOL
I feel bad for everyone who doesn’t have this luxury💜
My baby chihuahua gives me so much comfort and peace. We’re inseparable 🩷
I have 2 year old red tick beagle she sleeps in my bed half on my chest and half on the bed I think it’s awesome and sometimes she sleeps on her back on my stomach we both sleep very sound every dog I have had has always been welcome in my bed
That’s so sweet! I have a black lab and a Kelpie who sleep with me. The lab takes half my bed, its his bed i just sleep in it. 😝I never understood people who don’t let their dog sleep with them. Its peaceful!
I never understood how ppl can have dog in bed-until I got my own dog.Yes is more work- bedding and bath for my 2 dogs.I also cook for them- since my husband died I have 2 dogs on my bed-My sleep improved,I feel safer because they have excellent hearing.
Yes having 4 legged coosleper is beneficial for humans and animal too.
I felt the same. After my husband passed away I had difficulty sleeping again. Until my kids convinced me to get a doberman puppy. I swear she was only suppose to stay with me a few nights. That is 4 years ago. Now I can’t imagine sleeping without her and now and then my pittie as well when he does not sleep with my daughter
my baby sleep’s on my bed,and on top of my pillow as well on top of me and i love her to bits,also these days i get more sleep with her near me even if it is on top of me she is my baby in the house💞🐾
Linda Darlene
07/03/2025 at 3:28 pm
My Chihuahua Houston sleeps on my pillow with me every night.
I’m retired so during the day when I take naps he’s right there by my side. With him there it also helps my anxiety and help me rest better. 🐾
I honestly could not sleep at all without my Chihuahua, Molly, next to me. She starts out behind my knees and by morning she’s curled up with her head on my pillow. I’m 73 and I’ve slept with every dog I have had. Children leave, husbands die but your dogs comfort you through life’s travails.
100 % true
Hi, I have very beloved pug called maximus, he sleeps with my husband and I every night, upon my pillow above my head, he gazes at me with his expressive face. I find his deep rythmatic sleeping so soothing and reassuring, eases me to a contented sleep, I couldn’t sleep now without him there, during the night he moves down and curls into me , to feel him next to me is so relaxing, we are there for each other,
My dogs sleep on my pillow and sometimes they put their neck on my shoulder where it touches me.I am always having to move them from my side of the bed..Nothing better than having a dogs love..Thank you for sharing..
My little girl shitzu Bichon cross , the tea cup variety , sleeps with me , she loves to snuggle up to my heart and if it’s too warm for that she will stretch out but always keeps one foot touching me , she is my heart and soul , and I sleep much better with her breathing by my side , if I am restless she kisses me and lets me know that she is there
I have 2 dogs. Gracie a timid Boxer, sleeps in the closet while Mickey sleeps in the bed with us. Mickey is a 72 pound Golden Doodle. Mickey sleeps with his head either on my husband’s chest or he sleeps with his head toward the foot of the bed, as if listening to any sounds that may harm us. I feel more secure.
My little Chi, Pnut, sleeps with me right behind my shoulder, rolling onto her back and kicking me with her back legs. Makes me smile and comforts me. Even after a very serious surgery, (25 staples), she slept in her spot behind me, restless and in discomfort. I cradled her and we both slept a little. She has recovered thanks to my wonderful vet. Nothing like a warm furry friend in the dead of night!
I’ve been married 61 years, and we have always had our dogs sleep in our bed. Now I have two dogs, and they take turns sleeping between my legs. It keeps me cozy and makes them feel secure and when one’s not in between my legs, they are right next to my side, pushing on my side. I love my dogs and I wouldn’t trade them for anything and I love them sleeping with me
This may be the wrong thing to say, but I think dogs sleeping between the legs sounds very uncomfortable to me and just sounds weird. I totally agree with them close in the bed, but seriously, between the legs!
Renee,
Then it’s a good thing you’re not Janet. (If you know what you’re about to say will be unpopular, maybe take that as a clue to keep it to yourself.)
Dogs enjoy sleeping in warm places. I sleep on my stomach with one leg curled up and my dog goes into the V behind the knee of my bent leg.
Stop judging, just stop.
My dogs have always slept with me. Honey, my Maltese Shih Tzu, loves to sleep with her head on the pillow next to me. Listening to her breathing ( and sometimes snoring 😘) makes me feel so calm and happy. I can’t imagine sleeping any other way. 🥰🐶
My parents’ most recent dog who sadly passed away about 1 year ago was too weak to climb the stairs to the bedroom for the final two years of her life. I wonder if she felt “separation” for not being able to sleep with her humans towards the end. She had a slightly peculiar but affectionate habit of passing through my legs to ensure that I knew she was there, say, when I was standing talking to my mother. How could I not notice her! She , Murphy, the dog, delighted in being rubbed and caressed, even after she had developed many lipomas all over her body. I think that in many ways pets recognize the power of a “healing touch” and I try to share these with my animal friends. A good scratch, a caress, a pat…. animals love these so much!
My little Cookies and Cream male Beagle sleeps next to me at night. He burrows under a blanket and sleeps on top of the bedspread. I don’t mind him sleeping with me-it’s comforting- but not on the mattress sheet nor my pillows. He normally sleeps with his back facing me and head facing the foot of the bed. Sometimes he dreams and whimpers or barks in his sleep. Funny
My boxer pit mix, Frasier passed away 2 years ago this September. He had the softest steady snore. We were soulmates. Nothing is the same without him. Sleep doesn’t come easy anymore.
I felt the same way no go for dogs in the bed but since my husband passed 18 months ago they are my pacifiers they are my daughters dogs but will only sleep with me . Very protective over me .would not have it any other way I sleep like a baby
Hi Tracy so sorry for your loss of Frasier but remember All dogs Go to heaven. It wouldn’t be having without them, right? I hope you’ll consider adopting a new furry friend. Bonnie
My Wife and I Have 8 Dauschaunds that fit in bed with us , it’s amazing to watch how they curl around us and Love us, it sounds like a lot, It’s Not! They are well mannered and mind very well, Weiner dogs are awesome
My weiner sleeps in my bed and knows when it’s bed time my 120 pound sharpei Pyrenees mix only gets in my bed when he’s scared he has his own love seat at the foot of my bed so he prefers that most of the time 😅
Teddy, my Bichon poo sleeps in our bed every night! Before he goes to sleep every night, he comes up to me and nestles his head across my neck, he stays there for a few minutes and I tell him he is a good boy and that mama loves him while I rub his head. This has become a nightly ritual! I love it and I think he does too. Then off he goes to the bottom of the bed and goes to sleep!
I also have a Poochon, and she is so incredibly sweet! She’s very protective of me, and she sleeps on my pillow, which I love. Gracie is so funny, too… Does your Teddy have a good sense of humor? Gracie has me laughing all day long, and when I’m laughing, she’s got her tail wagging. We’re a great match!
My labrador my only dog, have 3 others, that sleeps on the bed, under the duvet or my pillow. Morgan is v protective, the least noise has his attention. A young dog, 3 years, whose bond with me and me with him is unspoken, both knowing we have each other’s back.
My blue heeler and German shepherd mix was 5 weeks old when I got her and she would sleep by my face on my pillow. As she got bigger she would sleep with her front legs on one side of my head and her back legs on the other. Once she was bigger than my pillow she would sleep with her head on my pillow and her body next to mine and under the covers just like a child. I was told that when she was younger that when I was sleeping and someone came near me she would walk around my body until they left the room. I believe she was protecting me then. Sleeping on my pillow was to be close to me and I was her mom literally because she was so little when I got her. She is now 8 & a half years old and she’s still my baby just about 55 pounds lol. I wouldn’t trade her for another. She’s my heart
I got a beagle from the animal shelter a few years ago. At that time, the deputy warden told me it would be a few weeks before he recognized me as his human. I work nights, so I sleep during the day. So I got him home, showed him around and then got ready to go to sleep. I let him know he could be on the bed. From that moment on, he was mine and I was his. He is never very far from me. He knows my routine well. When I shower and dress for work, he knows I am leaving and gets on the pillows and pouts.
One of the things I miss most about my BFF being gone, is sleeping or just lying next to me. He was much comfort & healing for me. He was 8 wks old when given to me, my mini schnauzer, Mr Miley. Five wks later, my only son was found dead. I can’t imagine living that without Miley. He was my comfort, healing angel & constant companion for 14.5 yrs old when I had to send him to the rainbow bridge. I had just buried my mom a month before, so his passing was extremely hard. Four yrs and my heart will always ache & long for him laying on my pillow 💔❤️
I share my bed with 2 German Shepherds. Alex is two (today), and, he starts every night beside me, on his pillow, snuggled into my arm. Eventually, he gets up and trades places with Molly, his mom. I find it almost impossible to sleep without them. Luckily, I’m a farmer and they are with me almost every moment. Dogs and humans are very symbiotic, and I’m thankful for them!
I always thought my fur baby slept so close because he wants to know if I get up and leave without him.
Either way ……I don’t sleep without him in the bed.
When my dogs were still alive they often slept on the bed with me. As they aged and looked up longingly, I would help them up where we found peace in each other’s company. When their final day arrived I laid on the floor with them until they passed. They passed 5 years apart and are sorely missed.
My 104 pound American Bulldog. Samson, formerly Cream Puff, a rescue that was being used as a bait dog for fighting. is the greatest cuddler. He’ll stand over me sometimes with his face above mine asking permission to spoon at which time he will plop over rolling his back to me so I can hug him and rub his belly. He’s usually snoring within minutes! In the morning he lays his head across my neck letting me know it’s time to get up soon. The minute I put one leg out of bed he goes to the end of bed waiting for me to start coffee, take a shower, open blinds and then our day has begun and he is off and running as my constant companion.
I also have a dog who behaves the same while sleeping or put his head on his pillow. Its existence makes me calm and all members of the family have a friend. It is very sweet and with his playfulness and stunts we have given our lives the color of happiness and love.
I never thought I will be having a dog sleeping on my pillow. Always slept next to me in their own bed. My Shi Tzu was giving to me by a family member. When she wasn’t feeling well I allowed her to sleep on my pillow for a few days.. Every since Its been hard for me to break the habit. She keeps on jumping back in my bed. So I decided what the heck. Not so bad sleeping with my hairy cute puppy. She stays on her side. We both sleep very well together 😊
Our 2.5-year-old English Mastiff (weighing 206 lbs.) must sleep with his giant head on my wife’s pillow while resting his back against me. He is the sweetest and kindness pooch that has ever entered our life. Although he typically gets-up in the middle of the night to sleep at the foot of the bed or on the floor, he often returns to his favorite position during the night. The comfort he provides far exceeds the periodic sleep interruptions.
My little Chihuahua mix, Tiny has slept with my husband and I since she was a baby. She’s two years old now. She likes to curl up next to my tummy. We both sleep just fine. Right now I am battling inner ear infections in both ears. She has stayed right by my side. She’s such company.
I am so glad to read this article! My female dog always sleeps on my pillow when I am awake and I always wondered why. This makes me feel like a better dog mom and closer to her as well.
Yes… I have 2… Chiweenie brother and sister… one will sleep on the pillow above my head, the other next to me under the cover. At some point they switch places during the night, when we wake in the morning they have traded. Lol. I have a larger collie/pit mix who sleeps next to the bed, but also moves about throughout the house during the night to check things. We live in an old farmhouse – they are definitely my protectors.