London - Feeling tired? Blame Fido, Tiddles or Polly.
Growing numbers of us are being kept awake at night by our pets, doctors have warned.
While many sleep peacefully with their pet curled up beside them, some are left so exhausted that they seek specialist help.
Snoring dogs, squawking parrots, wandering kittens, sick pets and animals with weak bladders are all disturbing vital shut-eye.
And pampered pooches and a rise in people owning more than one pet are adding to the problem, says the respected Mayo Clinic in the US.
Tenper cent of pet owners who attended the clinic’s sleep centre last year partly blamed their animals for their problems – up from just one percent in 2002.
Study author Dr Lois Krahn, a psychiatrist, said while most patients did not view their pets as an intolerable disturbance at night, a higher percentage of patients experienced irritation.
He added: “This may be related to the larger number of households with multiple pets. When people have these kinds of problems, sleep specialists should ask about companion animals and help patients think about ways to optimise their sleep.”
Dogs, cats and birds – the most popular pets – kept their owners awake by snoring, whimpering and wandering. Medical problems and the need to go outside were also problematic.
Dr Krahn added: “One patient owned a parrot who consistently squawked at 6am. He must have thought he was a rooster.” - Daily Mail