Why Napping With Your Pet Is Actually Good for You
One study says you benefit from a power nap. Guess what? So does your cat or dog.
They’re called power naps for a reason: a little sleep — be it a lazy Sunday slumber or a quick weekday moment of shuteye — can be a good thing, and make you feel like you’re on top of the world. By taking a brief break from the hurry of the world around you, it’s easier to relax and rejuvenate. Who doesn’t feel better after a nap?
As pet parents can attest, our furry friends are oftentimes champion sleepers. By this logic, shouldn’t a cat nap be good for you, too? And by cat napopens in new tab, we mean just that: snuggling up with your pet and indulging in a little snooze with them by your side. There may even be health benefits to it, too.
A little snooze can boost your brain.
Sometimes, your mind just needs a little reset, and a short nap can often provide the reboot your brain requires. A 2022 studyopens in new tab found that naps can help enhance cognitive performance in humans, particularly memory. Napping can also improve vigilance and your ability to process information quickly. The results were consistent across age groups and regardless of when during the day the subject napped.
Shorter naps, however, do have an advantage over longer ones. According to experts, the best nap length is around 20 to 30 minutesopens in new tab. This shorter nap will keep you in a lighter phase of sleep, making it easier to wake up, whereas a longer nap can leave you with that groggy, What year is it? feeling.
How much do you spend on your pet per year?
Napping with a pet is even better.
So, we know napping can improve your mental acuity in a number of ways, not to mention your mood, but should you share a nap with your pet?
Sleeping with your pet, even for just a short time, can help your dog or cat trust you and lead to a closer bond over your pet’s lifetime. Plus, snuggling up to your pet leads to an increase in the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocinopens in new tab, often referred to as “feel-good hormones.” For those who suffer from anxiety or depression, that happy hormone boost can be a definite plus.
“Some pets enjoy napping with their people, while others prefer their own space,” Dr. Valli says. “Pets that show any reactive or aggressive behavior when they are touched, jostled, or moved while resting should not nap with their people for safety reasons.”
Whether you choose to snooze with your pet or not is, of course, entirely up to you. Some people are restless or light sleepers and can easily be disturbed by the presence of an animal in the bed, even for a nap. And if you have any pet allergies, allowing your dog or cat in the bed is probably not the best idea. But if you and your pet don’t mind, taking a nap with your dog can boost your immunity to bacteriaopens in new tab, as well as your mental and emotional wellbeing.
“Co-sleeping with pets can have practical benefits, such as increased heat and, when desired, increased security,” Dr. Valli says. “However, research on human-pet co-sleeping is sparse. Co-sleeping may increase attachment of dogs and people toward each other. Petting animals has been shown to have numerous benefits, including decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and depression. It is possible that co-sleeping may help as well.”
Interestingly, there are some situations in which human and pet co-sleeping may not be beneficial to the person sleeping. A 2025 studyopens in new tab from the Journal of Pediatric Psychology on youth sleep and pet co-sleeping suggests that for school-age children, sleeping with a pet on the bed leads to worse sleep — in both duration and onset — than it does for children without a pet in the room.
So, if your child has a big test or event coming up and needs all the rest they can get, it might be best if they skip sleeping alongside the family dog or cat for one evening.
Dogs and cats — especially puppies and kittens — actually need naps.
If your pet happens to be growing still, they’re definitely be good nap buddies. Both dogs and cats require more sleep than humans, especially when they’re young. The average dog spends as much as half the day (12 to 14 hours) snoozing, while cats may nap for as much as 18 to 20 hours. Younger animals sleep even longer, so don’t be surprised if your puppy is asleep for 18 to 20 hours and your kitten passes the 20-hour mark.
“Sleep is very important for neuronal development and information processing,” Dr. Valli says. “Puppies’ and kittens’ brains are still developing until over a year of age, and when young they are learning extensively. Therefore, nap times are very helpful for facilitating that development. They are also going through very rapid physical growth during the first several months of life, which also takes a lot of energy and promotes napping.”
Your pet may also take smaller naps throughout the day to pass the time when you’re away from home or just because they feel comfortable and at ease. (We’ve all seen how much cats love a good sunbeam nap.) If you’re worried that your pet is sleeping too much, talk to your veterinarian, but in most cases, dogs and cats just enjoy a good snooze. And who can blame them?
A pup snuggle sesh will do you good.
Not every pet parent is up for a night full of snuggles, especially if your cat wants to sleep on top of you. But a little nap time with your pet can be a great way to bond with them, improve your mood, and help you feel a little mentally sharper as you go through the rest of your day. Plus, how can you resist some sleepy cuddles?
References
Cotliar, Dustin and Jay Summer. “Sleeping with Pets: Benefits and Risks.” Sleep Foundation, 14 Oct. 2021, www.sleepfoundation.org/animals-and-sleep/sleeping-with-petsopens in new tab.
Denworth, Josh Fischman,Tanya Lewis,Lydia. “Quick Naps Are Good for Your Brain.” Scientific American, www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/quick-naps-are-good-for-your-brain/opens in new tab.
LaMotte, Sandee. “Sleep with Your Pet? How That May Affect You (and Your Pet).” CNN, www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/health/sleeping-with-pets-wellness/index.htmlopens in new tab.
Lancaster, Brittany D, et al. “Co-Sleeping with a Pet: Exploring the Impact on Youth Sleep.” Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 14 Mar. 2025, academic.oup.com/jpepsy/article-abstract/50/4/377/8078603?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true#512627334opens in new tab, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf016. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Leong, Ruth L.F., et al. “Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses on the Effects of Afternoon Napping on Cognition.” Sleep Medicine Reviews, vol. 65, Oct. 2022, p. 101666, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S108707922200079Xopens in new tab, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666.
