Sleepeezee ambassador Dr Ranj Singh reveals how dogs can help improve your mental health
In partnership with Sleepeezee
By Steve Brown
Did you know that your pooch can have a paw-sitively great impact on your mental health?
As Sleepeezee ambassador I visited Battersea (Dogs and Cats Home) recently to find out a bit more about how our four-legged friends can help us feel a whole lot better.
After all, research shows that 95 per cent of pet owners think of their animal as a member of the family.
It’s no surprise then, that household pets can have a huge impact on health and wellbeing. In fact, you’re probably unaware of just how much your furry friends are affecting your life…
Walkies vs workout
Naturally, dog owners get more exercise than those who don’t have a dog to walk. In fact, you’re 3.5 times more likely to meet the Government’s recommendations for daily physical exercise thanks to your four-legged friend.
And the best part about it? Dogs won’t accept your excuses for skipping a workout and will drag you out of the door whether you’ve had a long day at work or not.
Let’s face it, how many times have our pooches sat at our feet looking up with those puppy dog eyes? We all know what’s coming next…
Bye, bye loneliness
Is there any better feeling than coming home to an excited, lovable pet every day?
We don’t think so – it can be the ultimate boost to your mood after a bad day, especially if you live alone. Loneliness can lead to things like depression, and even affect our heart health, however caring for a living creature is proven to reduce this risk – no matter what age you are.
An interesting study involving more than 600 children, carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed a little over half of them had pet dogs at home.
Results showed 21 per cent of the children who did not have a pet dog tested positive for anxiety – compared to 12 per cent for those who did.
A similar study, carried out among elderly people who were left to care for crickets for eight weeks, showed an improvement to their mental health – proving the positive impact living creatures have on our wellbeing, no matter what their size.
A healthy heart
Did you know that something as simple as petting a dog can reduce blood pressure? What if I told you that the sound of a purring cat can reduce stress too?
That’s because these small interactions reduce the amount of cortisol in your body (the stress hormone) and increases the release of oxytocin (a chemical in the body that reduces stress naturally).
An office dog never sounded so good!
Sleepeezee are dedicated to giving people the best night’s sleep possible, so they thought our pets deserved the same. That’s why they have launched their new range of pet beds.
Head over to the Sleepeezee website to find the paw-fect bed for your pooch.