Sleep and Your Dog

How Much Sleep Should Your Dog Get, Anyway?

Sleep is a universal aspect that we humans have in common with our dogs, but unlike our best friends, we can’t spend the day tucked away beneath the our beds dreaming of the squirrels we almost caught or the long walk we get to take later in the day! We know exactly how sleep we need to be functioning and productive humans, but how much sleep do dogs really need?

You may find yourself searching the term “veterinarian near me,” but at The Vet Set, we’re ready and willing to come to you for all of your pet care needs — from DA2PP vaccinations to alternative pet care treatments. Learn more about your dog’s sleep requirements in today’s post!

How Much Sleep Does Your Dog Need

Your dog may spend the majority of their day snoozing away, but do they really need all that rest? It is not uncommon for a dog to spend half of the day napping, with another 30 percent reserved for being awake but just casually lounging, to 20 percent being awake and active.

The amount of sleep your dog requires depends on a couple of factors such as:

Health status – Sleeping is crucial to your dog’s health and is a normal routine of any canine. If you are a new dog owner and you catch your dog dozing off a lot, don’t be alarmed, this is completely normal. Sleep only becomes an issue when their sleep patterns change rapidly — if they are sleeping even more than usually and it is coupled with odd behavior, you may want to consider a checkup at the vet clinic.
Age – In a 24-hour sleeping cycle, your dog will spend 12 to 14 hours — give or take — sleeping. Senior dogs will sleep more, simply because they require more. As they age, getting up and down the stairs becomes increasingly more difficult, so they need to recoup and sleep more to regain their normal sprite!
Size – While all dogs sleep, larger breeds often require more sleep because they are bigger — they simply use more energy.
Activity level and breed – Depending on what your dog was bred to do, this will affect how much sleep they need. Working and hunting dogs will sleep less, because essentially, they are “on the job.” Imagine if a service dog just decided to take a nap while leading a person who is blind down a busy street, or a hunting dog who enjoys naps in the cool, long grass instead of fetching prey? These dogs have tasks to keep them awake and active, so naturally they’ll sleep less. Dogs who don’t have a specific purpose will sleep more.
Life events – Dogs are sensitive creatures, and if they experience a loss or traumatic event, they too, will react. Any changes in their normal environment will cause them to sleep more.

How Do Dog’s Sleep

A dog’s sleep is much like ours — in the first part their heart rate and breathing slows and their blood pressure lowers. Within 10 minutes they enter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep — this is the stage of sleep owners gush over as we see their paws moving or hear a quiet bark in attempts to finally catch that squirrel! Dogs spend about 10 percent of their total sleep time in REM (humans about 25 percent), and it differs pretty dramatically because of their erratic sleep schedules.

Because dogs are adaptable creatures, can fall asleep just about anywhere, and can also be woken up and alert in seconds, they do require more sleep than us as a result of missing out on the REM stage of sleep. Dogs sleep in short bursts, whereas we — hopefully — get one straight eight hour span.

Can dogs get sleeping disorders?

Sleep disorders, while uncommon, do affect dogs. Dogs can suffer from sleep disturbances as:

Narcolepsy – If your dog is sleeping an enormous amount that can’t be explained from the other factors listed above, your dog could have narcolepsy. This sleep issue happens when your dog falls into a deep sleep (REM) and has partial or complete muscle paralysis.
Insomnia – It is hard to a imagine a dog having insomnia, right? Dogs can get insomnia as a result of other health issues including allergies, arthritis, and kidney and thyroid concerns.
Sleep apnea – Dogs too can have sleep apnea! Like in humans, if your dog has loud snoring that wakes them up, this could indicate the sleep issue. Because your dog’s breathing becomes compromised when they are sleeping, the body wakes itself up as a form of self-preservation. If you notice behavior changes in your dog and they are overly tired or fatigued, talk to your vet about this condition.

Sleep is just as important for dogs as it is for humans, but it looks a little different based on the breed, age, health, and other factors of your pooch.