One in five Edinburgh couples prefer sleeping with their pet

one in five partners in Edinburgh are being banished from their own beds to make room for their four-legged friends.

One in five Edinburgh couples choose to sleep with their pet rather than their patner

Research carried out by leading bed manufacturer Sealy UK has revealed 20 per cent of couples in the Scottish capital now regularly sleep apart in separate beds to make room for one or more animal companions.

Seven per cent of couples have admitted to doing so “all the time”.

Edinburgh ranks amongst the top five cities in the UK for this trend.

Only Bristol (25 per cent) and Leeds (22 per cent) came in higher.

Sealy surveyed the sleeping habits of 1,000 people in Britain in reaching the findings.

Men were the worst offenders in the UK, with 11 per cent admitting to regularly relegating their partner to the ‘dog house’ – or another room – to make space for their animal companion.

Those in the 35-44 age bracket were also the worst offenders, with 17 per cent preferring an animal’s company to that of their partner.

Neil Robinson, Sealy’s sleep expert, said: “It’s no surprise that Brits love their pets, but the research findings are particularly fascinating as it seems many people are choosing to put their animal friend ahead of their significant other, especially in Edinburgh. However, pets offer comfort to their owners, something which promotes deep sleep, so the trend is understandable”.