The famous expression “he’s in the dog house” uses pet as metaphor to illustrate that someone is sleeping on the couch tonight. In millions of homes, however, the idea of an owner encroaching on the pet’s personal space is not really an issue. The opposite, in fact, is quite the norm. Every night the family dog or cat curls up on someone’s bed, right along with their owner(s), regardless of whether or not anyone is in the proverbial doghouse.

What follows is either a cozy night blissfully communing, subconsciously, with your pet, or a series of interruptions that last all night, courtesy of your dog or cat. Perhaps you are woken up by a request for a bathroom trip outside, or a tail in your face. Perhaps two rambunctious cats spontaneously decide to race not-so-gracefully across your body. If you had reached a stage of deep sleep, it would certainly feel spontaneous to you, as you are jolted awake. Simple things like a snoring dog, or one engaged in compulsive paw-licking, could prevent you from falling asleep in the first place.

It is, therefore, no surprise that an article in ScienceDaily.com, a research news site, reports that a Mayo Clinic study done several years ago found that there was a link between sleeping problems and pets. According to Dr. John Shepard, Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center at the time of the study, the results showed that 22 percent of their sleeping disorder patients were likely have pets sleeping on the bed with them.

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