Pets Can Deprive Owners of Sleep

Feb. 14 -- It's the middle of the night, and 16-year-old Minnie Fontana awakens her household with the clatter of footsteps and loud cries. Sometimes she's hungry, and other times she just wants some attention.

No, Minnie is not an annoying adolescent. She's a demanding cat. And her owner, Grace Fontana of Nahant, Mass., says she and her husband are seriously sleep deprived because of their four-legged friend's nightly routine.

"We may be in bed for seven to eight hours, but my husband feels like he is existing on five hours of sleep," Grace laments.

And the Fontana family is not alone.

A study conducted by Mayo Clinic sleep researchers found more than half of the patients seeking consultations at their sleep clinic are pet owners complaining of nightly sleep disturbances by their furry companions.

And while 41 percent of sleepy pet owners said the disruptions came from allowing their pets to share their beds, another 58 percent reported the problems stem from simply allowing their pets to sleep in the same room.

Weary owners also complained that their pets' snoring steals away shut-eye time. On average, 21 percent of the patients slept with dogs who snore, and 7 percent with snoring cats.

"I suspect that the degree of sleep disruption experienced may be significantly greater than we believe," says Dr. John Shepard, lead author of the study and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic.

Sharing the Covers

Christine Lawson of Stockton, Calif., shares her bed not just with her husband but also with their four cats, who sneak under the covers after she's fallen asleep.

"One has chosen my legs to sleep on, the other sleeps or will try to sleep with her head in my hand, so I am literally hugging the cat," says Lawson. "The others sleep on the bed between my husband and me. I am constantly aware of the presence and try not to roll over on them. I am deprived of sleep when I awaken, and am exhausted before my day begins. "