Does your dog catch lots of z’s throughout the day? Learn about normal and abnormal sleeping patterns in dogs.
According to the AKC, (Trusted Source) the average dog needs 12-14 hours of sleep—that’s roughly half the day! An adult dog will sleep about 8 hours at night, and they get an extra 4-6 hours by napping during the day. Puppies, older dogs, and large dog breeds may need more sleep to recharge; 16 hours of sleep for a dog isn’t uncommon.
Dogs have sleep cycles that last for about 20 minutes (compared to 70-120 minutes in humans), and they typically sleep for 45 minutes at a time. If you let your pup sleep on the bed with you at night, you’ve probably wondered why they get up or move around so much. This behavior is common — canines tend to sleep through two cycles (45 minutes) and then get up for a moment before going back to bed.
Dogs will nap for about three hours during the day, usually in short spurts. If you see your dog lying down or napping for most of the morning or afternoon — don’t fret — snoozing throughout the day is completely normal for them.
REM sleep is the deepest stage of sleep when our brains get the most impactful rest. If humans don’t get enough REM sleep, they’ll wake up feeling groggy and tired. Dogs need REM sleep, (Trusted Source) too, but they only need to be in the REM stage 10% of their total sleep time (humans need 25%). While dogs need less deep sleep than humans, it’s still important for their health and overall well-being.
Things that might disrupt your dog’s sleep schedule include:
With sleep, it’s hard to classify anything as “too much.” Puppies, for example, might need 20 hours a day to get enough sleep, but some may sleep less. Instead of judging your dog’s sleep based on average ranges, you should try to get a good sense of what is normal for your dog.
If your dog is in a normal, healthy season of life, observe their sleep for a week or two to get a general idea of what their daily sleep schedule looks like. This includes taking note of how easy it is to rouse them from sleep since suddenly becoming hard to wake up could be a sign that something’s wrong. By observing your dog, you’ll have a baseline that you can use to judge changes in their sleep patterns.
Sometimes, pet parents think they’ve noticed excessive sleep when in reality they’re observing more of their dog’s sleeping habits than they’re used to. This is why it’s important to try to establish a normal range of sleeping hours for your dog. Without that normal range, it’s almost impossible to know if your pup’s sleeping patterns should cause alarm.
There are many reasons your dog might be sleeping more than normal, and most of them aren’t serious. Here are the most common reasons for extended napping in dogs:
If your dog is sleeping more than usual but seems otherwise happy, it’s probably nothing to worry about. However, if your furry friend seems to be sleeping more of the day away and has other symptoms of illness, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your veterinarian.
If your dog has started a new medication, the meds might be making them lethargic. Check with your vet to make sure this drowsiness is normal and not a sign of a more serious reaction to the medication.
Always call the vet if your dog is sleeping more and has common signs of sickness/poisoning, such as fever, shivering, vomiting, diarrhea, and eating dirt, grass, or poop.
🚨 Your dog might be sleeping more hours when they’re sick to help their bodies fight off the illness.
If you notice that your dog seems to be struggling with sleeping at night, there are a few things you can do to help.
👉 Always check with your vet before introducing a new supplement into your dog’s diet.
The fur on a dog’s back is very thick, especially compared to their bellies. If your dog is hot, they may relax and nap belly-up so that they can cool down. A dog’s primary method of cooling down is panting. When they’re asleep, panting isn’t really an option. So, a pup that’s feeling stuffy may sleep on their back to let their bellies cool them down.
If you’ve ever seen your dog twitch and even bark in their sleep, you likely assumed they were dreaming. Vets and psychologists would agree (Trusted Source)—dogs probably dream about their daily experiences. The old cartoon-like image of a dog dreaming about chasing rabbits is more realistic than you might think!
Dogs that dream in their sleep may sometimes do so with their eyes open. It’s a similar response to twitching: their bodies are responding to stimuli in the dream.
Don’t always assume that they’re dreaming- sometimes seizures look like a dog sleeping with its eyes open. Other health issues such as cherry eye (Trusted Source) and Lagophthalmos (Trusted Source) may be to blame. Most of the time, however, dreaming is the primary reason dogs sleep with their eyes open. If you don’t see signs of distress or sickness, it’s safe to say your dog is just a vivid dreamer.
Dogs are pack animals, and their instincts affect many of their behaviors, including sleep. In the wild, dogs/wolves sleep close to each other to conserve warmth and stay close. They may also sleep close to you because it simply feels safe—another trait that is common to pack animals.
It’s not just your snoring partner; sleep apnea can affect dogs, too. If you think your dog might have sleep apnea, make an appointment with your vet to get them the treatment they need.
Signs of sleep apnea in dogs include loud snoring, sluggishness, and grumpiness during the day. Dogs are at higher risk for sleep apnea if they have shorter noses (think boxers and American bulldogs), if they’re overweight, or if they’re older.
Dogs with untreated sleep apnea will have a lowered energy level, less positivity, and have weakened immune systems because their bodies aren’t getting the rest they need. It’s important to detect and treat it so that your dog can be healthy and happy!
