How long should dogs sleep at night?

The life of a dog seems like such a leisurely experience. Get out of bed, go outside to relieve yourself, come in, have a snack, and go back to bed. Then wake up, go outside again, have dinner, and then go back to bed for another nap.

Table of Contents Show

How Long Do Dogs Sleep Each Day?
Why Do Dogs Sleep So Much?
What If My Dog Sleeps All Day?
What If My Dog Is Restless at Night and Won’t Sleep?
Are There Sleep Aids for Dogs?
Why is my dog so sleepy? The answer isn’t necessarily concerning
These are the typical sleeping habits of a healthy puppy
In the morning
In the afternoon
In the evening

While this may seem like a lot of time spent sleeping, it’s actually quite normal. Here’s everything you need to know about your dog’s sleep patterns, from how much sleep they need to whether you should worry if your dog sleeps all day or can’t sleep at night.

How Long Do Dogs Sleep Each Day?

On average, most dogs spend about 50% of their day sleeping—about 12 hours in a 24-hour period. Puppies, large-breed dogs, and older dogs may sleep more, while small-breed dogs and working dogs may sleep less.

In addition to the 50% of their day spent sleeping, dogs will then spend another 30% of their awake hours doing what I call “loafing.” Just like with humans, loafing is when a dog is awake but really not doing much of anything—just hanging out. Typically, loafing time is spent lying down, watching the world go by, and generally enjoying being lazy.

So, that comes out to a whopping 80% of the doggy day being spent not doing much of anything at all.

Why Do Dogs Sleep So Much?

Dogs sleep a lot more than people do. They sleep when their bodies say they need sleep—unlike people who have busy schedules and don’t always listen to the signals from their bodies.

Sleep is very important for dogs.

“All day long, electrical activity is happening in our brain, and random, disorganized data gets stored in various places,” says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, professor emeritus at Tufts University. “We organize that in our sleep, and dogs do, too. It’s very therapeutic, and if you deny dogs that, they’ll kind of lose it.”

Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, VMD, PhD, Dip ACVIM, adds that sleep helps a dog’s brain development, memory, and learning capacity, as well as their immune system. “Sleep-deprived animals and people are more prone to infections,” she says.

Many experts also assume that lack of sleep may contribute to your dog being in a bad mood.

And it makes sense that large-breed dogs, puppies, and senior dogs need even more sleep. Larger dogs simply need to work harder to move their bodies about, and it takes time to recover from that effort.

Young dogs race around, exploring everything and burning up all kinds of energy. Then, they crash and sleep hard until their body has recovered and is ready for another bout of play.

Older dogs also need more sleep to help their bodies recover from daily activities.

What If My Dog Sleeps All Day?

Most important to veterinarians is when pet parents notice changes in a dog’s sleep patterns. If your dog usually sleeps for 2-3 hours in the morning and then is up for the rest of the day, but then you suddenly notice they are sleeping for 5-6 hours in the morning and into the afternoon, it’s time to call the vet.

Conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease could be the reason for the change in your dog’s normal sleep patterns. Some of the big reasons older dogs might sleep more than usual are hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), heart disease, and arthritis.

Another thing we tend to clue in on is a dog’s response to being awakened. Most dogs will wake up fairly quickly, and if there is enough motivation (such as a dangling leash or a snack), they will stretch, get up from the nap, and be ready to go.

Veterinarians worry if dogs are very hard to wake up, or if they can’t be motivated to do the things that they normally enjoy. If you notice that your dog is sleeping more than normal, or they are hard to wake up, keep a sleep log and make an appointment with your vet.

Your vet can look over the sleep log and do tests to help find underlying conditions that may be causing your dog to sleep more or be more reluctant to get up.

What If My Dog Is Restless at Night and Won’t Sleep?

Age is another factor when it comes to sleep disruptions—with older dogs sometimes having more trouble falling asleep than puppies or younger adult dogs.

Dr. Hendricks says that like many older people, some senior dogs (especially those diagnosed with canine cognitive dysfunction, a condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease) go through sundowning. This means they may get confused and restless as night falls. They tend to pace a lot and may have trouble falling asleep.

This can be controlled with medication in many cases. Some animals will respond to having night lights placed near their favorite sleeping spots, as well as leaving a TV or radio on for them at a low volume.

An even more common problem is older dogs who must go out more frequently to urinate. Although this can have a medical basis, it can also simply represent a change in your dog’s patterns and be completely normal for them.

Check with your vet if your dog is suddenly needing to go out at night. Make accommodations for your dog to be able to go out more frequently at night, whether it’s laying out a pee pad, letting them out during the night, or using a dog door.

In most cases, there are identifiable reasons for dogs that are restless at night. Contacting your veterinarian to help identify that reason—and if possible, eliminate the trigger—is the best long-term solution.

Are There Sleep Aids for Dogs?

Unfortunately, there is no “one-size-fits-all” sleep aid for dogs. The most common solution to sleep-related problems in dogs is diagnosing and remedying the underlying problem.

For dogs that are overly anxious, pheromone products, such as plug-in diffusers or sprays, may help calm and settle them. For other dogs, a light dose of Benadryl can take the edge off and help them to sleep—but this is something that should be done under the advisement of your veterinarian.

Making the area conducive to sleep helps as well. Some dogs benefit from a night light, and many dogs like to have the radio or TV on. Many dogs actually sleep best in the comfortable confines of their kennel (keep the door open to create a sleeping spot).

It may take a little hit or trial and error to find out what works best for your dog, but with some detective work and the help of your veterinarian, most dogs will snooze happily through the night (and most of the day!)

Featured Image: iStock.com/gollykim

Do puppies sleep a lot? Generally, puppies require abundant sleep — about 6 to 10 hours per day. Every puppy is different, though. Some puppies sleep 20 hours a day to maintain their high energy levels. By about 16 weeks of age, most breeds of dogs will be able to sleep through the night.

Sleep is an essential element of human and canine development. As anyone who has had a new puppy can tell you, it can be tough at first to get them into a good sleeping routine. You’ll want to make sure you and your new dog are rested and fit for all that life has to offer you. Here is everything you need to know about when your new puppy should start sleeping through the night.

Why is my dog so sleepy? The answer isn’t necessarily concerning

Sleep is extremely important for dogs and humans alike. Without the proper amount of rest, it is extremely challenging to perform at the best of our abilities. Your pup is learning and growing every second of the day. Their sleep provides them the chance to recharge their batteries to be ready to do it all again tomorrow.

Sleep is important for retaining knowledge and forming memories. If you are proactive about teaching your dog after it is fully rested, it will learn faster, and you will develop a better rapport. It’s not easy to plan every moment around your dog — and you won’t be able to. That said, time with and away from you is important for healthy development. It can be challenging to learn how to live in a balanced way as a pet owner. It becomes easier the more you practice and continue to educate yourself on what works with your unique pet.

If the fact that your new little family member is snoozing the day away has you worried that something might be wrong, don’t despair. It’s perfectly normal for your pup to sleep all day, even up to 18 to 20 hours. Their little bodies are growing fast, and they need their rest, especially given how energetic they can be when they’re awake. Think of a puppy as a human baby who is growing and developing at a rapid rate. Sleep is essential to their well-being.

These are the typical sleeping habits of a healthy puppy

Your new puppy is a real ball of energy. He can sometimes seem like a never-ending source of energetic excitement, but then it happens: Your pup gets all tuckered out and can sleep for what seems like hours, even in the middle of the day. What’s a healthy sleep schedule for a growing pup anyway?

Your growing baby dog needs sleep. A lot of it. Puppies sleep a lot during the daytime and typically require about 6 to 10 hours in the evening, too. Your pup will likely pass out quite hard after getting a lot of activity in. A walk around the block, some kisses, and play might be all it takes. Then your pup will lay wherever he is and quickly be in dreamland.
Daytime napping is perfectly healthy for your new pup. They will know when and how much sleep they need. Thirty minutes to two hours is a typical time span for a healthy pup nap. Puppies, like babies, will often fall asleep right where they are. Do not disturb or wake up your sleeping puppy — just let him rest.
When your puppy is very young, he might want to go for a walk in the middle of the night. By 16 weeks or so, it should be easy for your puppy to sleep soundly through the night for about 6 to 10 hours. Sleep is very important for the healthy development of your pup. It might take some getting used to for everyone in your new family, but in time, you will get the bedtime thing down easily.

To make sure your dog is as happy and nourished as possible, it is important to try to plan your day around their nap, play, and learning. Here are some naptime tips:

When your dog is tired, he needs to rest. Don’t try to force your puppy to stay up when he’s clearly ready to rest.
After nap time is a great time to practice the things you had been teaching your dog earlier in the day. Much like you, they are refreshed and ready to learn.
Create a tender and soft bed for your pet. Encourage it to use it. Though, if your dog is sleeping somewhere else, do not wake them up to force them to this place. Pups will take time to learn these things, but honestly, sleep is more important for them than being in a certain location. They know what is comfortable for them and will learn about the special place you made for them as they develop.
Let family members know not to wake the puppy when he is asleep. Although all that cuteness is hard to resist, think long term. The sleep he receives as a puppy will help him develop into a happy, healthy adult dog.
Give him a chew toy. Chewing is a calming activity for dogs of all ages, but especially for teething puppies. A quiet chew toy or bone can help your pup fall asleep.
Make sure he gets plenty of exercise. This means physical as well as mental stimulation. After the activity, know that your puppy will typically sleep anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
Take your puppy out for a potty break before naptime. Watch him and ensure he poops and pees during this potty break. As long as he’s empty, he’ll enjoy a more restful and comfortable nap.

To help your pet strike the right balance of sleep and awake time, consider sleep training your puppy by creating a schedule that includes plenty of playtime, learning, and naptime during the day.

In the morning

Take him outside for a potty break as soon as he wakes up, then feed him breakfast. After another potty break, let him play for the next few hours before letting him nap.

In the afternoon

When he wakes from his morning nap, give him another potty break before you feed him lunch. Alternate periods of play, potty training, and naptime throughout the afternoon.

In the evening

After dinner, take a short walk and work on leash training or let him play with family members. Refrain from letting him eat or drink a few hours before bedtime. Before you tuck him in, take him out for one last potty break.

Depending on the breed of dog you have, your puppy might sleep anywhere from 16 to 20 hours out of a 24-hour day. This is completely normal, and there is nothing wrong with your dog if it sleeps this much. In fact, sleep is absolutely essential for your new baby to learn, grow, and develop to the best of its ability.

If your dog is sleeping more than 20 hours a day, you should take it to a veterinarian immediately. It is worth checking to make sure there is nothing wrong. Also, if your pup is excessively groggy or lethargic throughout the time it is awake, this could also be a sign of a complication worth exploring with a medical professional. In general, if you are ever in doubt, call your vet and ask them any questions you might have about your new dog. That’s what they are there for.

At about 16 weeks, most puppies sleep through the night. They need about 6 to 10 hours of sleep a night to feel their best. The sleep health of you and your dog is both important. Take care of yourself — it’ll be even easier to be the best you can be for your little bundle of furry joy. Proper sleep hygiene can take humans and animals some training, but with some effort, the training will last a lifetime.