So, a stuffed animal may be sort of a good alternative to having someone else sleeping in your bed.” Even over the course of a life, it makes sense to need contact when you sleep, Lamar added.

Her mother’s best friend gave her Ogen, a light brown stuffed bear puppet, as a seventh birthday gift. “It was love at first sight,” Ms. Tuttle, 47, said.

However you use your favorite stuffed animal –– displayed on a shelf, tucked in a closet or ready for you in bed at night –– it is great if it can be a way to get better sleep, Greenberg said.