Admit it: You sleep with your dog because he or she is very good in bed. You’re not alone: According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, www.appma.org . no less than 42 percent of dogs now sleep in the same bed as their owners, up from 34 percent in 1998. Why is that? Simple: human relationships are fraught with complications, but dogs are easy – and their snoring amounts to soothing, restful, white noise. Try saying the same about the disturbing racket made by a sleeping human!

As with human relationships, sharing one’s bed brings up the subject of protection. Except in the case of dogs, we’re looking to protect our mattress investment – especially if we’ve splurged on a spine-friendly luxury model. www.tempur-pedic.com But here’s something you might not know (I sure didn’t): no matter how deluxe your mattress, it’s one of the biggest sources of germs and allergens in your home. So even if you don’t have pets, you could be sleeping with critters and not even know it. After ten years of use, a mattress can actually double in weight because of the dust mites, skin cells, allergens, and other unwanted debris that collect inside of it night after night. (Of course, if you do have pets, you can add pet dander to that nightmarish mix.) So the first consideration when making the perfect, pet-friendly bed—even before you unfurl your favorite high-thread-count sheets – is covering it with the very best barrier known to man or beast. That accurately describes the Crypton Mattress Protector, www.cryptonnight.com which offers a breathable moisture barrier for the top and four sides of your mattress that’s easy to clean and disinfect (in fact, it’s the only disinfectable fabric approved by the EPA). www.epa.gov I’d say that’s the stuff of sweet dreams.