While we can’t be sure of the exact overlap in these numbers, it’s a pretty safe assumption that there are more than a few people in the US suffering from sleep\u00a0troubles that also happen to be pet friendly. With this in mind, it just makes sense to look into the viability of using animals—as therapy aids and more—to make life a little easier for people with sleep\u00a0problems.<\/p>\n
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What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?<\/h2>\n
Simply put, animal-assisted therapy is just what it sounds like: A way to improve emotional, mental, physical and\/or social functioning through guided therapy that is supported by animals. For example: Dolphin-assisted therapy<\/a>\u00a0usually involves having patients with mental and\/or physical disabilities touch or even swim with dolphins in a controlled environment for a finite time period. This is similar to equine-assisted therapy<\/a>\u00a0programs; which may involve therapeutic horseback riding, horsemanship lessons, and even stable management. Conversely, animal-assisted therapy for some patients may be as simple as\u00a0being visited regularly by handlers with therapy\u00a0animals like cats, guinea pigs and rabbits. These handlers and animals aren’t just pet owners and their furry friends volunteering on a whim; for instance, therapy dogs and their handlers are trained and certified by specific organizations<\/a>\u00a0to provide comfort and affection to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and the like.<\/p>\n Here’s where it gets a little confusing. Most therapy animals are owned by handlers, and are rarely\u00a0taken care of\u00a0by people that actually need them. In cases where a person with a verifiable mental or psychiatric disability requires the constant therapeutic benefit of having an animal around, they may choose to take care of an emotional support animal<\/a>\u00a0(ESA) themselves. ESAs—usually cats or dogs—fall somewhere between personal pets and service animals. They\u00a0need no specialized training or certification, just documentation of their therapeutic use provided by\u00a0a\u00a0medical professional. ESAs are covered by the Fair Housing Amendments Acts of 1988 (FHA)<\/a>. This means that while ESAs may not be welcome in some public areas, there are grounds for them to be allowed in dwellings that enforce a “no pets” rules; and often they are accommodated by transportation services, such as airlines.<\/p>\n Service animals are different from both therapy animals and emotional support animals. Not only do they need to undergo training from specific organizations<\/a>, but they are also comparatively expensive. Training fees can go up to $25,000! Another distinction is that, barring a few exceptions, service animals are for the most part dogs. They are recognized by the\u00a0Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/a>, and must be\u00a0permitted by law to remain with their owners in public areas. Mobility support dogs, seizure\u00a0assistance dogs, severe allergy alert dogs, visual assistance dogs, and other similarly specialty-trained dogs fall under this category.<\/p>\n It may almost be a reflex action for sleep experts and specialists to advise against pets being in the bedroom, due to all the usual, seemingly common sense reasons:\u00a0cleanliness and noise issues, motion transfer on the bed should your furry friend hop on the mattress in your sleep; or even just the fact that a pet in your sleep sanctuary will distract you and possibly push back sleep onset, and<\/em>\u00a0may be the cause of waking up earlier than you should. These are valid concerns! But a personal pet can be very different from an ESA or a trained service animal, and sleep health professionals should take that into consideration.<\/p>\n When it comes to therapy animals, there is no apparent conflict—as these furry friends rarely stay with\u00a0patients while\u00a0they sleep. Small doses of comfort can be relaxing and overall a positive experience, and this can help people with stress, anxiety, or diseases like Alzheimer’s<\/a> that may be affecting their sleep patterns. ESAs are a little different; while not considered simple pets, they are invariably long term companion animals. This means that co-sleeping<\/a> may be an issue. However, ESAs are usually needed by people with moderate to severe\u00a0mental health issues—which often affect sleep health<\/a>. It may take a medical professional or a sleep specialist\u00a0to properly weigh the benefits of an ESA against the hazards of keeping a pet in the bedroom.<\/p>\nEmotional Support Animals<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nService Animals<\/h3>\n
How Can Animals Help People with Sleep Problems?<\/h2>\n
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