How much does a dog sleep: what is normal sleep and what does it depend on
Dogs are very sleepy animals, but how many hours per day should a dog actually sleep? What is normal and at what point should you start worrying if your dog is having problems?
Whether you think your dog sleeps too much, or you have the opposite impression, that is, that he does not get enough rest, we will tell you how many hours a dog should sleep, and what factors affect his sleep.
What is dog sleep like?
Before talking about how much a dog sleeps, it's interesting to understand what these animals sleep like. Because it has certain similarities with human sleep, but also has several important differences.
Just like humans, dogs need sleep to restore their energy, produce growth hormones, keep their brains active and healthy, and consolidate memories and experiences gained while awake.
The sleep of these animals, just like ours, is divided into two large stages: slow-wave and REM sleep (rapid eye movement under the eyelids). Like humans, dogs also dream exclusively during REM sleep.
Features of dog sleep
Dogs wake up more often than we do. While we can sleep for hours on end, dogs sleep in a different pattern: they sleep for 10 to 20 minutes, briefly wake up for a few more minutes, and then go back to sleep. This is a behavior inherited from wolves that live in environments where deep sleep for several hours can be dangerous.
They sleep next to us. You have already noticed that your dog always wants to sleep next to you if possible. Again, this is an instinct inherited from her ancestors: a wolf sleeping alone in the middle of the wild is much more vulnerable than if it were sleeping in a pack. This is why puppies, in particular, suffer so much when they are forced to sleep alone.
Active rest and sound sleep. Not always when dogs appear to be sleeping, they are actually sleeping. These animals have two types of postures: active rest postures (sitting, lying on their stomach...) and deep sleep postures (lying on their side, tummy up or curled up). At first, they may be relaxed, with their eyes closed and storing energy, but they do not sleep soundly and therefore do not enter REM sleep. During outdoor activities, the dog is ready to respond quickly to any unforeseen circumstances.
How much does a dog sleep depending on its age?
Undoubtedly, one of the factors that most strongly influences how long a dog sleeps is its age. The rest time required by these animals varies depending on the phase of their life they are in.
Puppy. During puppyhood, dogs sleep longer than at any other time in their lives. On average, puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day. One of the main functions of sleep is to store and consolidate the experience gained during the day and help the body develop. For this reason, puppies who learn a lot, experiment, study, play, need a lot of sleep.
If you see your puppy snoozing on the couch for a long time, don't worry, it's completely normal and very good for his development. From about the eighth week of life, his sleep pattern will begin to more and more resemble that of an adult animal.
Adult dogs. A healthy adult dog will sleep about 13 hours a day, but not consecutively. As we have already indicated above, the sleep pattern of these animals is different from ours: they usually sleep 7 or 8 hours at night (20 minutes or half an hour each) and take several naps during the quiet moments that they find during the day.
Elderly dogs. From the age of 7, dogs begin to sleep more and more. An older dog will sleep between 15 and 18 hours a day, although the exact amount may vary depending on their health. Older or in poor health dogs may sleep even more.
Other Factors Affecting Your Dog's Sleep Hours
While age is usually the biggest factor in how much sleep a dog gets, it's not the only one: there are other circumstances that can cause a dog to need more or less rest. The main ones are the following:
Physical Activity: Not surprisingly, the more physically active a dog is, the greater its need for rest. After a hike up a mountain or a run in the park, it's possible that your dog will want to take a nap.
Anxiety: During moments or days of high excitement (home visits, trips, etc.) your dog will probably sleep less than he needs. This lack of rest will be made up for by more hours of sleep when the animal returns to its normal daily routine.
Season and Temperature: Dogs sleep more hours and are more lazy in winter and generally on cold days. On the contrary, excessive heat can make it difficult for them to sleep, as they will need to move in order to drink water more often, change their posture, and so on.