Do dogs sleep a lot when sick

Why do dogs sleep so much? What's normal and not

There are several possible answers to the question, Why do dogs sleep so much? Age, activity levels, mental stimulation, and illness can all come into play when your dog is sleeping more than normal.

Its important to remember that every dog is an individual some will sleep for most of the day, and others are more active. According to one study, the average dog sleeps for 10.1 hours, with adult dogs sleeping for 30-60% of the night-time hours, and 3-28% of daytime hours.

How much sleep do dogs need by age?

The amount of sleep a dog needs varies between individuals as well as with their age. For example, 8-week old puppies may have different sleep needs, with some sleeping a lot more than others. In general, though, puppies need more sleep than adult dogs. Usually, this is in short bursts, just like human children, and will be throughout the day. Add all these power naps up, and your puppy will sleep for around 18 hours a day.

Adults, on the other hand, need less sleep usually around 14 hours. Your dog might spend more time than this in their bed, but its likely theyre resting or dozing rather than really asleep. And as your dog gets older and becomes a senior, you might notice them sleeping a bit more again.

What defines a healthy sleep schedule?

Unlike humans, dogs are generally pretty good at going to sleep when theyre tired. And since all dogs are individuals, a normal sleep schedule for one will be different than that for another. Having said that, wed like dogs to spend the majority of the night asleep so thats 8 hours or so. Luckily, dogs have adapted well to this. Its impossible to know the sleep schedule of a non-domesticated dog, but ours tend to have the majority of their sleep between 9pm and 6am. They also tend to have a drowsy period in the afternoon.

As long as your dog is happy and healthy, and appropriately awake and active when theyre awake, its likely their sleep schedule is fine for them. However, if you have a dog that struggles to sleep or an adolescent that doesnt take naps, you might want to set a schedule. In this case, aim for sleep time from 9pm to 6am. Then you can factor in one or two hours of downtime/quiet time during the morning.

Whilst you cant force your dog to sleep during this time, its a good idea to give them the opportunity to stop play, become very boring, and consider encouraging them to go to their bed or their crate. A stuffed Kong toy wont let them sleep, but it will give them a rest from strenuous activity. Again, you should try to make time in the afternoon for them to sleep try to determine this by watching your dog and seeing when they become drowsy. If they dont seem to become drowsy, try putting them to bed or in their crate for an hour or two around 3-4 pm to encourage them to nap. They are more likely to settle for a sleep on a full stomach and after a walk.

Signs your dogs sleep is abnormal

When should you start worrying that your dogs sleep is abnormal? Changes in sleep behavior could be a sign that something is wrong so if you notice a sudden change in your dogs sleep patterns, its worth taking a closer look.

Between sleep, your dog should be fully awake and active sluggishness even when awake is a concern. And you should always be able to rouse your dog if you cannot wake them, then you should call a vet immediately.

1. Age

If your dog is very young or very old, its possible that age is one of the reasons theyre sleeping so much. Young dogs will grow out of it, but old dogs may need some lifestyle changes or even some medication to help with dementia if this is disturbing their sleep.

Young puppies sleep more during the daytime than older dogs and require frequent naps in order to process everything theyre learning. Its normal for a puppy to fall asleep halfway through playing or exploring. As long as they are alert in between naps, this is nothing to worry about.

Senior dogs also need more sleep than adults. Like puppies, they will often have short, frequent naps throughout the day. Their sleep at night can be broken, especially if theyre suffering from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (doggy dementia) which changes their sleep-wake pattern.

2. Boredom

Dogs that get bored and under-stimulated tend to sleep more than normal. After all, its one of the few ways they can pass the time. These are often high-energy dogs who are not having their exercise or mental stimulation needs met. Other signs of doggy boredom include anxiety, destructiveness, and pacing.

If your daily walks have reduced or you arent spending as much time playing with your dog as usual, it might be worth considering boredom as a reason theyre sleeping so much. Try a new training regime, feed them using the best dog puzzle toys, or getting a dog walker to take them out for a lunchtime stroll.

3. Illness

Lots of illnesses can cause lethargy, which can make your dog sleep more than normal. Heart disease, dehydration, and anemia are all causes of lethargy, but most illnesses can cause your dog to rest more.

If your dog is lethargic, it will sleep more than usual. They might be reluctant to get up, even if you ask them to. Try offering a lead a lethargic dog wont usually show interest in going for a walk. If your dog is lethargic, its time to call the vet there are too many possibilities to sort through them on your own.

4. Pain

Dogs that are in pain may sleep more as a coping mechanism. For some, the pain of arthritis means they will stick to their bed, where its comfortable, rather than risk pain when they stand. For others, they may see their bed as a safe place where theyre less likely to feel pain.

Either way, if your dog is sleeping more, consider whether pain could be the cause. Look for stiffness when rising, or a reluctance to go out. Your vet will be best placed to get to the bottom of whats bothering your dog.

5. Activity level

As we said, some dogs are lazier than others. Greyhounds, for instance, are often seen as an active breed but theyre made for sprinting, and the rest of the time they like to chill out and save energy.

On the other hand, if youve recently increased your dogs exercise, you might find them sleeping more when theyre home. New sports, longer walking routes, or a new playmate might all be tiring your dog out so that they need to sleep more.

6. Obesity

If your dog is overweight, they may struggle to get around as easily as they used to. Overweight pets may sleep more than normal rather than staying active. Unfortunately, this starts a vicious cycle, as they will burn fewer calories and gain even more weight once theyre lazing around all day.

Try to feel your dogs ribs, they should be easy to feel without pushing through any layers of fat. Your vet or vet nurse will be able to create a diet and exercise plan to help your pet shift the extra pounds.

Why is my dog sleeping so much? Conclusion

A dog sleeping lots isnt necessarily a problem dogs sleep for 10 hours every day on average, and younger and older dogs may need even more sleep. However, changes in the amount of time your dog has been sleeping can be concerning, especially if this is combined with lethargy when awake.

If youre unsure, its best to talk to your vet, who will guide you and help you decide if your dog needs to be seen or not.

Do Puppies Sleep a Lot? What You Need To Know & Watch Out For

If your puppy is curled up in a ball snoozing for most of the day, you might be wondering if this is normal. Puppies have a wonderful way of knowing whats good for them and this includes sleeping. But how much sleep is enough for young pups and how much is too much?

All puppies sleep for many hours a day. Young puppies need 18 to 20 hours of sleep per day. Most puppies sleep 6 to 10 hours at night, and the rest of the sleeping is done with naps during the day. The older puppies get, the less sleep they need. But even puppies older than 6 months need at least 15 hours of sleep every day.

A puppys sleep needs change as it gets older. Understanding how many hours of sleep a day your puppy needs will go a long way in helping your puppy set up a sleeping schedule to grow up into the healthiest, happiest dog it can be.

Lets start by looking at how much sleep your puppy needs according to its age.

How much sleep puppies need at different ages

A younger puppy needs less sleep than an older puppy, but all puppies still sleep for most of the day. How do they get all these hours in?

Well, puppies spend about 6-10 hours sleeping at night, just waking up for potty breaks. During the day, puppies make up the rest of their sleep time by taking naps for between 30 minutes and 2 hours at a time.

Lets take a look at how much sleep a puppy needs as it grows up into an adult dog. Below youll see a puppys age in weeks and months, followed by how many hours a day your puppy needs to sleep on average:

From the table above, we can see that newborn puppies spend 22 hours a day sleeping!

By the time a puppy has finished growing, between 1 and 2 years of age, your puppy will be an adult. Adult dogs sleep for about 12 to 14 hours a day depending on their breed, size, and how active they are.

This might be a good time to change your puppys food heres exactly what you need to know about when to change from puppy to adult dog food.

Puppies generally sleep as much as they need to and cannot really oversleep if theyre healthy and happy.

If your puppy is playing and randomly falls asleep, let it sleep in peace for as long as possible. Whats important is that the amount of sleep doesnt change suddenly and that your pup is happy and playful when its awake.

Your puppy should be able to sleep through the night at about 4 months old. So at this age your pup should make it through 6-10 hours without waking up for a potty break on most nights.

Why puppies sleep so much

Puppies are busy little bodies, which is the main reason why they sleep so much. But how can they be busy bodies and sleep for so many hours?

When awake, puppies are learning new things all the time and exploring the big wide world around them. They are developing mentally and emotionally every day.

Puppies are also growing physically into adult dogs, which is a lot of work!

Smaller dogs tend to reach their full adult size in about 12 months, but bigger breeds can take as long as 24 months to become fully grown.

During the first year or two of their lives, puppies go through many growth spurts and changes. These growth spurts are times when a puppy gets bigger and its body changes into an adult dog, for example its permanent teeth come out and the puppy coat is replaced with an adult coat.

Growth spurts take a lot of energy from the body, so a puppy needs a lot of rest and sleep to grow and develop properly. Puppies also need sleepy time to process all the new information they have taken in after seeing, smelling, tasting, touching and hearing so many new things.

Puppies that dont get enough sleep can suffer from health issues, and may even develop an eating disorder called pica where the puppy makes a habit of eating things like dirt.

Puppies that need more sleep

Some puppies sleep more than other puppies or sometimes sleep more than they usually do.

A puppy tends to sleep more than others or more than usual when it

1. Is a newborn pup or less than 7 weeks old
2. Is going through a growth spurt
3. Is a big dog breed that requires more growing time
4. Is sick and needs time to heal
5. Has had a vaccine
6. Has had surgery
7. Is a companion dog breed (e.g. French Bulldog) that tends to be a bit lazier than the more active working dog breeds (e.g. Bernese Mountain Dog)
8. Is not on the right diet (heres the puppy food that my veterinarian recommends for small breeds, medium breeds, large breeds Amazon links)
9. Has been exercising, playing, or running around
10. Has been out of the house and experienced a lot of new things
11. Is overweight
12. Is bored

When is a puppy sleeping too much?

A puppy cant sleep too much if its healthy and happy when its awake. If your puppy is sleeping longer than usual but active and playful when its awake, then it might be going through a growth spurt and simply needs the extra rest.

But some puppies sleep too much because something is wrong. Below are some things to watch out for when it comes to your puppys sleep if you notice any of these signs its best to take your puppy to a veterinarian to be checked:

• Your pup isnt playful or is very lethargic and low on energy when awake (but give your puppy time to wake up from a sleep before expecting energetic playfulness)
• Your puppy would rather sleep or lie down than eat, drink, or play when its awake
• Your puppy is more than 2 months old and sleeps for 20 hours or more a day
• Your puppy sleeps for less than 15 hours a day

If youre wondering if its safe to give your puppy a blanket, click on over to my post with all the tips and lowdown on whether blankets are safe for pups and which blanket to choose.

A puppy sleep schedule

To help your puppy get 6 10 hours of quality sleep each night and enough naps during the day, set up a simple sleeping schedule and routine. Go through the same steps before each bedtime and naptime, so your puppy knows its time to calm down and get ready to sleep.

Here are some good times to put your puppy down for a nap:

• After breakfast
• After play time
• After lunch
• After training
• After a short walk (puppies cannot and should not walk far)

To help your puppy fall asleep, put it in a quiet place and in a comfortable bed. If your puppy struggles to sleep, you can try this popular puppy pillow with a heartbeat from Amazon.

When its time to sleep, gently rub your puppys ears and stroke the chest area, to calm your puppy down. Use soothing words and sounds to let your puppy know its time to be calm and relaxed.

Your puppy should soon fall asleep.

Heres a fun video of a puppy happily being massaged to sleep:

All puppies are different and have different needs when it comes to their sleep time. If your puppy wants to sleep, let it sleep whenever and for as long as it wants to. Some naps might last 30 minutes, while others carry on for 2 hours.

Thats all fine.

Let your puppy enjoy this peaceful time to grow into one happy adult dog that can share many more years with you.