A Multispecies Approach to Co-Sleeping : Integrating Human-Animal Co-Sleeping Practices into Our Understanding of Human Sleep

'There Is Not a Word', but Is It Necessary? Analyzing Pragmatic Decisions Regarding Terminology Within Multispecies Family Relationships

This study analyzes the decision making that underlies the choice of terms we use to refer to companion animals. Three focus groups were developed, including participants from different demographic backgrounds who answered questions about their experience cohabitating with companion animals. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Thematic Analysis, carrying out a progressive refinement of the semantic contents until abstracting general themes. This study organizes the results based on three themes: (1) What you mean to me, contemplating human-animal relationships such as multispecies family, pet-owner relationship, human-like relationship, and objectivization; (2) Others' surveillance, encompassing the role of social pressure in decision making; and (3) A good solution (here and now), focused on the strategic decisions made to balance the prior questions. The analysis shows that companion animals are usually considered part of the family, but that importance is not always freely communicated outside of the household. Often, participants try to nuance the importance of their companion animals, mask this relationship behind jokes, or tend to isolate themselves to avoid hostile social attention. These findings show the dilemmas faced by people who live with animals and point to the urgency of revising hegemonic discourses to improve the integration of these new family models in Spanish society.

Intergenerational Transmission of Human Parenting Styles to Human-Dog Relationships

Parenting style and intergenerational transmission have been extensively studied in parent-child relationships. As dogs are increasingly recognized as integral members of the family system, there is a growing interest in understanding how parenting behaviors directed towards dogs can also influence a dog's behaviors. However, the reasons why people adopt certain parenting behaviors towards dogs remain relatively unknown. This study delved into the intergenerational transmission of parenting styles from one's upbringing to caregiving for dogs. Using a mixed methods approach with 391 dog caregivers and 10 interviews, this study employed multivariate linear regression and thematic analysis. Permissive parenting exhibited an intergenerational effect, with those experiencing it being more likely to replicate the style with their dogs. Orientation towards dogs emerged as a crucial mediator, with protectionistic attitudes reducing the likelihood of replicating authoritarian parenting. Humanistic and protectionistic orientation increased the likelihood of compensatory permissive behaviors. Insights from interviews underscored the impact of perceived childhood experiences on adopting specific parenting behaviors. Ultimately, this study provides valuable insights that can contribute to the promotion of appropriate caregiving behaviors toward dogs. By drawing on our understanding of child-parent relationships, addressing the underlying elements of human-dog dynamics may lead to positive outcomes both for dogs and their caregivers.

Co-sleeping with pets, stress, and sleep in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults

This cross-sectional study tested the direct and stress-buffering effects of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep characteristics in a nationally-representative sample of United States adults. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their sleep characteristics, including perceived sleep quality, perceived sleep efficiency, insomnia severity, and multidimensional sleep health. We evaluated whether co-sleeping with pets was associated with sleep characteristics and whether co-sleeping with pets moderated the association of stress and sleep characteristics. Exploratory analyses examined whether sleep characteristics were impacted by number of pets, pet type, and bondedness to pets. Our final sample of 1591 participants (Mage = 46.4 years, SD = 17.5; 56% female; 76% White) included 758 participants who reported co-sleeping with pets (47.6%). Co-sleeping with pets was associated with poorer sleep characteristics-specifically, poorer perceived sleep quality and greater insomnia severity. Although higher levels of stress were associated with poorer sleep, we did not observe evidence for a stress-buffering effect of co-sleeping with pets. Exploratory analyses indicated that the negative impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep was associated with dog ownership but not cat ownership, more pronounced when individuals own a greater number of pets, and not impacted by bondedness to pets. Our findings contribute to emerging evidence for the impact of co-sleeping with pets on human sleep. Study was pre-registered at: https://aspredicted.org/3VN_WF6 .

Consort Allergic Contact Dermatitis: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Consort allergic contact dermatitis (CACD) develops following exposure to an allergen originating from another individual. The diagnosis is often not straightforward. We conducted a systematic review to characterize patient demographics, clinical features, consort types, responsible products, and associated allergens in CACD. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete from inception to July 2020. In total, 183 articles describing 261 patients with CACD were included. Mean age was 40.9 years with female predominance (62.8%). The most common body sites involved were the face (48.6%), hand (30.4%), arm (20.9%), neck (17.8%), and genitals (11.5%). The most common consorts were partners/spouses (50.0%, of which 29.9% were related to sexual activity), children (19.4%), and healthcare providers (7.8%). Allergens were mainly encountered via direct contact with consorts (80.5% of cases). A caregiver relationship was involved in 27.6% of cases, and the consort's occupation in 14.6%. The most frequently implicated products were medications (35.6%), plants/botanicals (11.7%), and fragrances (8.7%). Patch testing identified 125 unique allergens in CACD. CACD can occur in relation to many individuals encountered throughout life. Caregivers may represent a high-risk group for developing CACD. Obtaining a holistic history encompassing social, sexual, and occupational factors can aid in the diagnosis.

Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre in human speech

The perceived pitch of human voices is highly correlated with the fundamental frequency (f0) of the laryngeal source, which is determined largely by the length and mass of the vocal folds. The vocal folds are larger in adult males than in adult females, and men’s voices consequently have a lower pitch than women’s. The length of the supralaryngeal vocal tract (vocal-tract length; VTL) affects the resonant frequencies (formants) of speech which characterize the timbre of the voice. Men’s longer vocal tracts produce lower frequency, and less dispersed, formants than women’s shorter vocal tracts. Pitch and timbre combine to influence the perception of speaker characteristics such as size and age. Together, they can be used to categorize speaker sex with almost perfect accuracy. While it is known that domestic dogs can match a voice to a person of the same sex, there has been no investigation into whether dogs are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre. We recorded a female voice giving three commands (‘Sit’, ‘Lay down’, ‘Come here’), and manipulated the recordings to lower the fundamental frequency (thus lowering pitch), increase simulated VTL (hence affecting timbre), or both (synthesized adult male voice). Dogs responded to the original adult female and synthesized adult male voices equivalently. Their tendency to obey the commands was, however, reduced when either pitch or timbre was manipulated alone. These results suggest that dogs are sensitive to both the pitch and timbre of human voices, and that they learn about the natural covariation of these perceptual attributes.

Effects of cat ownership on the gut microbiota of owners

Pet ownership is an essential environmental exposure that might influence the health of the owner. This study’s primary objectives were to explore the effects of cat ownership on the gut microbial diversity and composition of owners. Raw data from the American Gut Project were obtained from the SRA database. A total of 214 Caucasian individuals (111 female) with cats and 214 individuals (111 female) without cats were used in the following analysis. OTU number showed significant alteration in the Cat group and Female_cat group, compared with that of the no cat (NC) group and Female_ NC group, respectively. Compared with the NC group, the microbial phylum Proteobacteria was significantly decreased in the Cat group. The microbial families Alcaligenaceae and Pasteurellaceae were significantly reduced, while Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae were significantly increased in the Cat group. Fifty metabolic pathways were predicted to be significantly changed in the Cat group. Twenty-one and 13 metabolic pathways were predicted to be significantly changed in the female_cat and male_cat groups, respectively. Moreover, the microbial phylum Cyanobacteria was significantly decreased, while the families Alcaligenaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae were significantly changed in the normal weight cat group. In addition, 41 and 7 metabolic pathways were predicted to be significantly changed in the normal-weight cat and overweight cat groups, respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrated that cat ownership could influence owners’ gut microbiota composition and function, especially in the female group and normal-weight group.

The effects of bed sharing on sleep: From partners to pets

BACKGROUND

Bed sharing is common practice across the global population. However, the vast majority of research on bed sharing has focused solely on mother-infant bed sharing.

METHODS

Here, we provide a holistic review of research on bed sharing. Articles investigating the relationship between bed sharing and sleep were identified in 4 dyad categories: (1) parent and child, (2) couples, (3) siblings, and (4) pet owners and pets. Of interest was whether sleep-promoting factors such as psychological comfort were generalizable across bed-sharing dyads; alternatively, sleep-demoting factors such as movement or heat may be commonalities.

RESULTS

We found that, across dyad types, in general, subjective reports of sleep quality were better when bed sharing despite generally worse objective measures of sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding bed sharing is important to treating sleep disturbances, given the prevalence of shared beds. This scoping review points to critical gaps in our understanding of bed sharing that motivate future research.

Wound Management of a Pediatric Spina Bifida Patient Secondary to a Canine-Inflicted Fifth-Digit Amputation: A Case Report

We present a case of a pediatric patient with a history of spina bifida who presented to the emergency department of a large Army medical treatment facility with a partially amputated right fifth digit she sustained while sleeping with the family canine. There are several reports in the popular press that suggest that an animal, particularly a dog, can detect human infection, and it is hypothesized that the toe chewing was triggered by a wound infection. This case provides an opportunity to provide further education in caring for foot wounds in patients with spina bifida.

The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime: The effects of pet-human co-sleeping and bedsharing on sleep dimensions of children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Pets are often thought to be detrimental to sleep. Up to 75% of households with children have a pet, and 30-50% of adults and children regularly share their bed with their pets. Despite these high rates, few studies have examined the effect of pet-human co-sleeping on pediatric sleep. This study compared subjective and objective sleep in youth who never, sometimes, or frequently co-slept with pets.

METHODS

Children (N = 188; aged 11-17 years; M = 13.25 years) and their parents answered standardized sleep questionnaires assessing timing, duration, onset latency, awakenings, and sleep quality. Children completed a home polysomnography (PSG) sleep study for one night and wore an actigraph for two weeks accompanied with daily sleep diary. Based on reported frequency of bedsharing with pets, children were stratified into three co-sleeping groups: never (65.4%), sometimes (16.5%), frequently (18.1%).

RESULTS

Overall, 34.6% of children reported co-sleeping with their pet sometimes or frequently. Results revealed largely identical sleep profiles across co-sleeping groups; findings were congruent across sleep measurement (subjective: child, parent report; objective: PSG, actigraphy). Effect sizes indicated that frequent co-sleepers had the highest overall subjective sleep quality, but longest PSG onset-latency compared to the sometimes group.

CONCLUSIONS

Co-sleeping with pets was prevalent in one third of children. Sleep dimensions were similar regardless of how frequently children reported sharing their bed with their pet. Future research should examine dyadic measurement of co-sleepers to derive causal evidence to better inform sleep recommendations.

Most Dogs Are Not NATIVE Dogs

Studies of dogs have proliferated among canine scientists, aided in part by the logistical convenience of working with owned animals whose care is handled by others. These pet dogs are unlike most dogs that have lived in contemporary or prehistoric settings. In particular, many of the dogs studied by canine scientists are NATIVE dogs: (1) neutered, (2) alimented, (3) trained, (4) isolated, (5) vaccinated, and (6) engineered. The distinct genotypes and unusual environments of NATIVE dogs stand in contrast to the characteristics of dogs who have adapted to lives in other human communities and settings. For a holistic perspective on the evolution of dogs, it is helpful to study dogs in environments that share features of the settings in which dogs evolved.

Co-Sleeping between Adolescents and Their Pets May Not Impact Sleep Quality

Pet–owner co-sleeping is increasingly common in some parts of the world. Adult owners often subjectively report benefits of co-sleeping with pets, although objective actigraphy reports conversely indicate sleep disruptions due to the pet. Because limited research is available regarding pet–owner co-sleeping in non-adult samples, the aim of this two-part study was to explore whether co-sleeping improves sleep quality in adolescents, an age group in which poor sleep patterns are well documented. In Study One, an online survey with 265 pet-owning 13-to-17-year-old participants found that over 78% co-slept with their pet. Average sleep quality scores for co-sleepers and non-co-sleepers indicated generally poor sleep, with no differences in sleep quality depending on age, gender, or co-sleeping status. Study Two consisted of two preliminary case studies, using actigraphy on dog–adolescent co-sleepers. In both cases, high sleep concordance was observed, but owners again experienced generally poor sleep quality. Future actigraphy research is needed, including larger sample sizes and a control group of non-co-sleepers, to validate the preliminary findings from this study, but our limited evidence suggests that co-sleeping with a pet may not impact sleep quality in adolescents.

Environmental shaping of the bacterial and fungal community in infant bed dust and correlations with the airway microbiota

BACKGROUND

From early life, children are exposed to a multitude of environmental exposures, which may be of crucial importance for healthy development. Here, the environmental microbiota may be of particular interest as it represents the interface between environmental factors and the child. As infants in modern societies spend a considerable amount of time indoors, we hypothesize that the indoor bed dust microbiota might be an important factor for the child and for the early colonization of the airway microbiome. To explore this hypothesis, we analyzed the influence of environmental exposures on 577 dust samples from the beds of infants together with 542 airway samples from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood₂₀₁₀ cohort.

RESULTS

Both bacterial and fungal community was profiled from the bed dust. Bacterial and fungal diversity in the bed dust was positively correlated with each other. Bacterial bed dust microbiota was influenced by multiple environmental factors, such as type of home (house or apartment), living environment (rural or urban), sex of siblings, and presence of pets (cat and/or dog), whereas fungal bed dust microbiota was majorly influenced by the type of home (house or apartment) and sampling season. We further observed minor correlation between bed dust and airway microbiota compositions among infants. We also analyzed the transfer of microbiota from bed dust to the airway, but we did not find evidence of transfer of individual taxa.

CONCLUSIONS

Current study explores the influence of environmental factors on bed dust microbiota (both bacterial and fungal) and its correlation with airway microbiota (bacterial) in early life using high-throughput sequencing. Our findings demonstrate that bed dust microbiota is influenced by multiple environmental exposures and could represent an interface between environment and child. Video Abstract.

Human-Animal Co-Sleeping: An Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Dogs' Impacts on Women's Nighttime Movements

Simple Summary

Humans commonly share their beds with companion animals, yet little is known regarding how pets impact sleep. In survey-based studies, pet owners report that their dogs favorably affect sleep quality, but prior actigraphy-based studies of human-dog co-sleeping have concluded the practice can lead to sleep arousals and disturbances and, thus, reduce sleep efficiency (i.e., the ratio of time spent asleep in a night as compared to the time spent in bed). We examined actigraphy data from women and dogs and sleep diary data to investigate the apparent disconnect between objective and subjective reports regarding dogs’ effects on sleep. We also analyzed data minute-by-minute to assess whether dog movement impacted the likelihood the human would transition from an inactive to active state. We found associations between human and dog movement over sleep periods and that dogs influenced human movement more than humans influenced dog movement. Humans were largely unaware of their dog’s nighttime movements, and they rarely reported that their dog awakened them during the night. Additional research on more diverse samples and studies that use polysomnography and behavioral observations are necessary for developing a better understanding of how pets affect the quality of human sleep.

Abstract

Humans regularly enter into co-sleeping arrangements with human and non-human partners. Studies of adults who co-sleep report that co-sleeping can impact sleep quality, particularly for women. Although dog owners often choose to bedshare with their dogs, we know relatively little about the nature of these relationships, nor the extent to which co-sleeping might interfere with sleep quality or quantity. In an effort to rectify this, we selected a sample of 12 adult female human (M = 50.8 years) and dog dyads, and monitored their activity using actigraphy. We collected movement data in one-minute epochs for each sleep period for an average of 10 nights per participant. This resulted in 124 nights of data, covering 54,533 observations (M = 7.3 hours per night). In addition, we collected subjective sleep diary data from human participants. We found a significant positive relationship between human and dog movement over sleep periods, with dogs influencing human movement more than humans influenced dog movement. Dog movement accompanied approximately 50% of human movement observations, and dog movement tripled the likelihood of the human transitioning from a non-moving state to a moving state. Nevertheless, humans rarely reported that their dog disrupted their sleep. We encourage the continued exploration of human-animal co-sleeping in all its facets and provide recommendations for future research in this area.

Undercover Dogs: Pet Dogs in the Sleep Environment of Patients with Chronic Pain

(1) Background: Chronic pain is a significant and prevalent condition in many industrialized nations. Pain and sleep’s reciprocal nature suggests that interventions to improve sleep may decrease pain symptoms. Little attention has been paid to the influence that owning a pet dog has on the pain/sleep relationship. Typical advice to remove pets from the bedroom negates the possible positive benefit of human-animal co-sleeping. Aim: To investigate pain patients’ perceived impact of pet dog ownership on sleep. (2) Methods: We carried out a content analysis of interview data focused on the impact of pet dog ownership on sleep. The qualitative dataset comes from a subgroup of participants in a larger study examining the pain patient/canine relationship. This subgroup of participants from the larger study was asked, “Does your dog have a positive or negative impact on your sleep?” The data were thematically coded using an iterative approach. (3) Findings: Codes included: companionship; physical presence/’cuddles’; routine/schedule; distraction from anxiety/worry at night; reassuring/protective presence; active intervention to keep participant safe; daytime activity to promote sleeping at night; and reciprocal concern for the sleep of the pet dog. (4) Conclusions: Pet dogs may play important roles in helping people with chronic pain achieve sleep onset and maintenance. Removing the dog to improved sleep could be counter-productive and lead to additional sleep-related issues.