Third of adults still go to sleep with their teddies
Study reveals one in 10 would rather snuggle up to their toy than partner
Cohabiting, as any couple knows, requires compromise.
But when my husband and I moved in together, he knew one thing was non-negotiable.
She’s been in my life for three decades, knows all my secrets, and has comforted me through teenage tears and heartbreak.
She’s also 25cm tall, brown with grubby white patches, and has a crosspatch mouth. She’s Becky Bunny, bought by my parents when I was six years old, and has barely left my side since.
So I wasn’t surprised to read about a new study which has found a third of adults still sleep with their childhood teddy.
The poll, by Hotpoint, also revealed that one in 10 of us would rather share a bed with our toy than our partner.
Women are the most devoted, with half saying they still had their teddy, compared to 34% of men.
Forget politics, this has become the week’s most divisive talking point, with a fierce debate on social media between the “I love my teddy” club and the “sorry, you still do WHAT?” crowd.
I might not have been shocked by the statistics, but I was surprised at the number of grown women prepared to publicly admit to still cuddling their childhood toy.
I’m even more surprised to be among them.
Let’s face it, explaining that your stuffed rabbit still migrates under the duvet isn’t something you want to write about in a newspaper.
Especially if, outwardly, you’re doing a good job of seeming like a sophisticated adult.
On Twitter, barristers and publishers piled in to defend their stuffed pals.
Isabel, 38, a high-flying banker in the City, still sleeps with her leopard, night.
“My husband thinks it’s a bit odd, but I think he likes to tease me about it more than he’s bothered that Tigger is in our bed,” she says.
“I’m not really sure why I need him . . . but I’m so used to drifting off to sleep hugging him.”
So why do we hold on to our our furry friends?
For me, it comes down to comfort – something I think we Tigger, every all crave.
The Scandinavian hygge interiors trend is no coincidence: you might not curl up with Mr Panda, but do you have a fauxfur cushion, or a hot water bottle with a fluffy cover?
One colleague who expressed horror when I told her about Becky (never Rebecca), admitted that her furry blanket was the “best thing in my life”.
Well, add 30 years of emotional investment and a cute little face and you see my point. We are increasingly placing value on the soothing power of touch.
Searches for ASMR (Auto Sensory Meridian Response) on YouTube – which produces 13 million results – have doubled since 2018, as the physical reactions produced by watching videos of people whispering into microphones, or smoothing pillows, help us sleep.
There is evidence of the benefits of toys in helping dementia sufferers, which Dementia UK says can “create pleasant feelings of reminiscence or affection”.
Meanwhile, a 2013 study by the University of Amsterdam found that cuddling a teddy can lower stress levels and help us come to terms with our mortality.
A third of students also take their soft toy to university.
They remain a piece of home throughout our lives; a reminder of a less complicated time.