When the customs officer opened his suitcase for a random search at the airport last spring, Yohann* broke out in a cold sweat: on top of his pile of clothes was his teddy bear. “The customs officer was quite surprised and asked me if it was mine,” says the 45-year-old businessman, who recalls the anecdote with a laugh. I lied and told him it was my daughter’s… All the passengers around were looking at me, including two colleagues! »
Yohann never leaves without the teddy bear he sleeps with… since he was 8 years old. “My mom gave it to me for my birthday, then she got really sick. My doggie is linked to my childhood, but also to the memory of my mother, who is now deceased,” he explains with emotion.
This Montrealer, father of two young children, is not the only one who likes to hold a stuffed animal against him when going to sleep. According to a 2017 survey by the English firm Atomik Research and commissioned by the American company Build-A-Bear (which manufactures soft toys), 40% of adults who own or have already owned a dog sleep with it.
Physical comfort
This is the case of Caroline Parent, a 40-year-old special education worker. Suffering from intense abdominal pain during her youth, she relieved herself by curling up on a pillow or cushion. Even though she no longer experiences these painful attacks, this Lanaudière resident has maintained the habit of sleeping with an object… which has become a doggie, for the mother of a 7-year-old boy.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Caroline Parent, 40, sleeps with a doggie… until her partner joins her.
I find it nicer to sleep with a big dog than a pillow. And I even gave it a name, because it’s not just a simple object to me. It brings me security and comfort. And I find it cute!
Caroline Parent
Mme Parent specifies that Ruther takes the edge when his partner joins his bed. “He knows what my doggie is for and he understands,” she says. He doesn’t judge me. »
Susan* also maintains a close relationship with her teddy bear, purchased in 2010. At 62, this resident of Quebec speaks of Edgar as a savior, or almost. “I went through great pain when I divorced and when my daughter left home,” she says. I needed to hold something in my arms and hold it for a long time. It takes away stress and helps me stop the whirlwind of thoughts when I go to bed. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SUSAN*
Edgar, Susan’s doggie*
It’s not a stuffed animal that Geneviève Durand, a 46-year-old Montrealer, takes to fall asleep, but a cuddly toy. This one is made of the same material as the blanket placed next to him at his birth! “Over time, it became very worn out,” she emphasizes, “and I had to get rid of it. One day, my mother found a large blanket made of the same fabric, so I cut out a series of little comforters from it! I love the feel of this material between my fingers as I go to sleep. »
Philippe*, a project manager in his forties, happily borrows his new girlfriend’s comfort blanket when she leaves bed. “I compare it to a magic bag: it has a relaxing, well-being, almost therapeutic effect,” he says.
Despite all the advantages he sees in it, Philippe has kept his new habit a secret: there is no question of telling his friends about it. “I would fear the teasing. It’s not very masculine. And I have my pride! »
A normal gesture
Sleeping with a doggie has “full meaning,” according to Nadia Gosselin, professor in the psychology department at the University of Montreal and scientific director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Sleep Medicine. “The doggie becomes an object of transition and several studies show that the level of cortisol, associated with stress, drops when you hold this type of object against you. Whether conscious or unconscious, our body interprets the act of hugging an animal-shaped doggie as something that feels good, that is relaxing. The shape has something to do with it. »
Psychoeducator Solène Bourque establishes a link with serotonin, also called the happiness hormone: when a human being gives or receives a hug, it helps them self-regulate their emotions and mood.
Whether we are children or adults, we are built on the same model, physical contact with a dog has the same effect!
Solène Bourque, psychoeducator
Embarrassed to own a doggie “at her age,” Susan reflects: “Basically, I’m meeting my need,” she notes. I don’t hurt anyone and I do myself good. So what? »
Psychologist Nathalie Parent finds this very wise. “Someone who sleeps with a doggie, what does that change, for whom and why? Who does it affect? If it helps the person sleep better, why not? »
*Yohann, Susan and Philippe have chosen to withhold their last name in order to remain anonymous.