Sleeping is a big deal in a dog’s life. As a dog owner, you may notice that your pooch snoozes throughout the day and then settles down to sleep all night long with the family. Dogs can sleep anywhere from 12 to a whopping 20 hours in a day, depending on the situation. For example, puppies need much more sleep than older dogs because they use tons of energy to grow. Older dogs tend to sleep their days away too.
Middle-aged dogs that are healthy tend to sleep between 12 and 14 hours a day. Only about 20% of a dog’s life is spent awake and active. So, why do dogs sleep so much? How much sleep is too much? These are questions that are worth exploration. First, it is important to keep in mind that there is no one reason that a dog might sleep for long periods during the day. That said, let’s explore why dogs sleep so much and discuss how much sleep is too much.
The 5 Reasons Dogs Sleep So Much
1. Sleeping as They Grow
Puppies usually sleep throughout the day and night because all the exploring that they do tires them out and the quick growing that they are doing requires a great deal of energy. Puppies usually split up their awake time throughout the day and take long naps between their active times. During the night, they should sleep with short wake-up breaks to go potty.
2. Sleeping Due to Boredom
Dogs that get bored will nap. Owners may notice that their dogs spend a great deal of time sleeping in the yard because they are alone and do not have any specific activities to do. Dogs usually sleep while their family members are spending downtime in the house, like watching a movie. Bored dogs may be destructive and overzealous during their waking hours because of the pent-up energy that they have due to all the sleep that they are getting.
3. Sleeping Due to Loneliness
Another reason that a dog might sleep for long periods during the day is loneliness. This is typical for dogs that spend all day at home alone while their family members are at work and school. They get bored with the limited toys that they have access to and the lack of interaction, so they choose to snooze their day away while waiting for everyone to get home. Investing in a dog walker and interactive puzzle toys can enrich a lonely dog’s life and give each day more meaning for them.
4. Sleeping to Recover
Most dogs usually sleep for long periods during the day when they are recovering from an injury or illness. This enables their bodies to spend time healing instead of exerting energy for activities. The more a dog rests, the less time they should take to recover. Once recovered, the dog should start regaining energy and staying awake more often during the day.
5. Sleeping During Old Age
The older that a dog gets, the more they tend to sleep throughout the day. Senior dogs might sleep up to 20 hours a day, with short spurts of activity between their long naps. Older dogs do not need to be ill or injured to sleep for long periods. Their bodies are just not producing as much energy as they used to, so extra sleep is necessary to maintain good health throughout old age.
How Much Sleep Is Too Much?
There is no one right or wrong answer when it comes to determining how much sleep is too much for a dog. It all depends on things like the dog’s age, their health, their activity level, and the daily lifestyle circumstances that they experience. In general, healthy middle-aged dogs will sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day. Puppies and older dogs will sleep a few hours more.
If your dog suddenly starts to sleep more often than usual and you cannot find an obvious answer for the reason, it is a good idea to schedule a visit with the veterinarian to determine whether there are any underlying health conditions to address. If everything checks out fine, your vet should be able to guide you as to what can be done to get your pooch up and moving more often.
In Conclusion
Dogs are great at knowing when they need to relax and rest for energy restoration. Unless there is a reason for worry or boredom and loneliness are at play, the best thing that we can do is let our dogs decide when and how much to sleep throughout the day. However, we should expect adult dogs to stay asleep all night long unless they need a bathroom break.
Featured Image Credit by Daniel Myjones, Shutterstock
