It’s always an amusing sight when a dog dreams vividly during his sleep, sometimes even moving or barking softly, and most dog owners are curious about what their dogs are dreaming. Dr. Deirdre Barrett, a Harvard psychologist, has been studying human sleep behavior for years. Along the way, Dr. Barrett also learned some things about how animals dream.
Mammals, including dogs, have almost the same sleep cycles as humans, and according to Dr. Barrett, “That certainly makes it the best guess that other mammals are dreaming, too,” he said in an interview with People. Dogs, like humans, undergo a stage called Rapid Eye Movement, or REM, the phase in the sleep cycle where mammals experience dreaming.
When asked about what dogs might be experiencing when dreaming, Dr. Barrett says, “Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell, and of pleasing or annoying you.”
A lot of pet owners are also curious if they can do anything to ensure that their dogs are only dreaming about pleasant things, and according to Dr. Barrett, “the best way to give ourselves or our children better dreams is to have happy daytime experiences and to get plenty of sleep in a safe and comfortable environment.”
When a dog dreams, he usually moves a lot and even makes cute sleepy sounds.
A lot of pet owners are curious about what their dogs are dreaming of.
Dr. Barrett, an expert psychologist at Harvard Medical School, has been studying the human’s sleeping behavior for years and along the way, he also learned important things about how a dog dreams.
According to him, mammals like dogs have sleeping cycles similar to humans. They also go through the stage called REM or Rapid Eye Movement, where dreaming happens.
When asked about what dogs dream about, Dr. Barrett said, “Since dogs are generally extremely attached to their human owners, it’s likely your dog is dreaming of your face, your smell, and of pleasing or annoying you.”
It’s heartwarming to find out that dogs actually dream about their human friends during sleep.
According to Dr. Barrett, “The best way to give ourselves or our children better dreams is to have happy daytime experiences and to get plenty of sleep in a safe and comfortable environment.”
H/T: Just Something