How Much Sleep Does Your Dog Need?

Have you ever wondered how much sleep your dog gets in a day? They sleep at night, they sleep in the morning, and they even have scattered naps throughout the day. Well, if you ever thought that dogs sleep more than us humans you are most definitely right. 

Sleeping Dogs
Adult dogs sleep between 12-14 hours per day. Since dogs adjust to our sleeping patterns they tend to sleep around 8 hours at night and then around 4-6 hours during the day in the form of naps. This means that around 50% of your dog’s day is sleep, 30% of their day is rest (mostly awake but inactive), and 20% of their day they are active. It is important to note that puppies, older dogs, and larger dogs tend to get more sleep than other types of dogs.

But It Depends…
The amount of sleep your dog needs also depends on a number of facts such as age, breed, diet, health, and life events.

• Age
  Senior dogs sleep more as they tend to get up and move around at night and then sleep more during the day. Also, puppies tend to sleep at least 18 hours a day as they expel a lot of energy.
• Breed
  The breed of your dog may also determine what is the normal amount of sleep for them. Larger dogs like Mastiffs and Great Danes tend to sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day.
• Diet
  If a dog’s diet is low quality it can slow them down as the food they eat may not provide them with the proper nutrients. Some ingredients are hard to digest, meaning that your dog spends all their energy digesting the food instead of being active.
• Health
  If your dog has poor health or if they have certain diseases they may be prone to sleep more than other healthier dogs.
• Life Events
  If there are many changes going on in your dog's life such as moving to a new house, this may cause a dog’s sleep to be disrupted for a period of time.

Signs Of Sleep Deprivation
There has not been a lot of research on sleep deprivation in dogs however vets believe that the symptoms are similar to those experienced in humans. Some symptoms include grumpiness, forgetfulness, disorientation, and difficulty concentrating and performing usual tasks.

Importance Of Sleep For Dogs
Sleep is extremely important for dogs as it helps with a dog’s brain development, memory, learning capacity, and immune system. Similar to how it works for humans, sleep helps dogs organise the data they receive throughout the day.

Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep
There are a few ways you can help your dog get a good night’s rest including regulating their exercise and lowering stress levels. Vets recommend to take your dog for a solid walk during the day and not to do anything too exciting and stimulating before bed as this might throw off their routine. If your dog is inactive during the day, they are more likely to be active at night.

If you would like to track your dog’s activity, minutes active, and rest time check out PoochPlay’s dog activity tracker by clicking here!