Still Sleeping with Your Teddy Bear? You're Not Alone

The teddy bear is often seen as a quintessential childhood toy: soft and cuddly, it's the perfect companion for a toddler needing comfort. As kids grow, this plush friend becomes a trusted nighttime buddy that soothes fears of the dark.

However, not everyone parts with their teddy during adolescence. If you're one of those who secretly continues to sleep with your teddy long past childhood, don't feel bad. As a new survey reveals, a lot more people are doing the same than you might think. They're just not telling you about it.

The survey, commissioned by an American toy company earlier this month, included a representative sample of 2,000 American adults. It found that forty percent of them still sleep with their favorite soft toy – typically, of course, a teddy bear.

According to the polling firm Atomic, which conducted the survey, half of the respondents said they had held onto their toy for over twenty years. More than seventy percent claimed they never intend to part with their teddy (or their elephant, or their Mickey Mouse).

"As kids seek independence from their parents, they still yearn for a secure connection with something. Often, they find this in plush animals, including teddy bears, to help them through this transition," explains clinical psychologist Shafa-Lee Tsabari.

The findings of this survey align with results from another survey conducted by a mattress company aiming to uncover Americans' sleeping habits. This survey found that more than half of the adults who slept with a teddy or similar toy reported finding the toy's presence "comforting."

This survey also uncovered another interesting fact: while people of all ages can be found sleeping with a teddy, the percentage is particularly high among millennials, those born in the 1980s and 1990s. It turns out this generation finds it especially hard to let go of their childhood companions – at least the furry ones.