My Dog Sleeps All Day, Any Way Out?
Have you ever wondered why your dog is sleeping more than usual, is it normal or we should worry about its health? Well! If your puppy sleeps 12-20 hours, adult 10-14 hours, and senior dog 10-14 hours or a variation of 1-2 hours, then it’s completely normal. Any sleep variation from said durations should be monitored closely.
A dog’s sleep depends on its age, health, genetics, environment, and some other similar factors. Sleep is essential for better growth, and mental and physical simulation of the dog. In this article, we will cover all possible aspects related to the sleep of the dog, normality and abnormality signs and some suggested measures to tackle the sleep issue of your dog.
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How Much Sleep is Normal?
The sleep of the dog is impacted mainly by its age apart from all other factors. Like human beings, usually, a puppy sleeps more than a senior dog. When a dog is an adult (1-5 years), it sleeps less and remains active throughout the night. But when it becomes a senior, its sleep time again increases especially at night.
Puppies
The puppies take longer naps at night and enjoy shorter sleep naps in the day as well. It typically sleeps between 12 and 20 hours. With every passing week and month, its sleep time will decrease.
Adults
An adult dog, e.g. Red Nose Pitbull sleeps during the day and takes short naps at night. It usually sleeps between 10 and 14 hours. Don’t worry as the less sleep duration for adults is normal within the above limits.
Seniors
Senior dogs, 5 or 8-year-old dogs depending on their size, sleep more than adult ones. They prefer to sleep more in the night and take sleep naps during the day as well.
Should I worry if My Dog Sleeps for the Complete Day?
Yes, it is a sign of worry. Any dog including mini Goldendoodle and Golden Mountains Dog should sleep for the number of hours as per its age requirements. Oversleeping will make your dog unnecessarily lazy and shrink your energy levels in the long run. 1 or 2 extra hours are okay but extended sleep duration is not good at all.
Reasons for Extended Sleep Time of the Dog
A dog sleeps more than its routine sleep time due to multiple reasons including bad health, age, genetics environmental conditions, etc. Let’s understand them one by one:
Health
Usually, unhealthy dogs tend to sleep less than routine but that’s not always true. The dog including Snickerdoodle dog and Red Golden Retriever may lose strength, stamina, and energy due to bad health. The bad health can cause the dog to sleep more than usual.
Mental Stress
Dogs aren’t robots rather they are emotional animals. Multiple factors like loneliness, lack of attention, and an uncomfortable environment may disturb their mental peace. Anxiety and stress can cause to low down and may increase sleep duration.
Boredom
The majority of dogs are active and they need regular exercise and mental and physical simulation. They need at least 1-2 hours of exercise. Lack of exercise and physical activities they may take deep naps of sleep.
Diet
The importance of the diet for good health and sleep time cannot be ruled out. If a dog takes a high-quality and healthy diet, then it will take the required sleep. However, low-quality or even very low-quality food can damage a dog’s health and sleep duration.
Genetics
Some dogs, economical at times, tend to sleep more than other dogs merely due to their inheritance. British bulldogs and mini Goldendoodles usually sleep more than Golden Retrievers and Bernese mountain dogs.
Weather
Extreme weathers, cold or hot, push the dogs to decrease their activity levels significantly. Boredom and lack of exercise due to harsh weather result in an extension of sleep time for the dogs.
How to Address the Sleep Issue?
Now we have become very well aware of the prominent reasons that urge the dog to sleep more than usual. Is there any solution to address the said issue? Of course, yes. Here are some practical guidelines that will help you schedule your dog’s sleep:
Push Your Dog to Sleep in the Crate
People who tend to allow their dogs to sleep with them in their beds experience bad sleeping. When your dog won’t complete its sleep cycle at the rest time, then it will lay back, and show laziness and boredom for the whole day.
Follow a Bedtime Schedule
Training is, no doubt, an important part of the life of the dog. Pet owners train their dogs to do various tasks and abide by instructions. But unfortunately, bedtime is neglected at times. So, make a proper bedtime schedule as this will help the dog to sleep only at dedicated slots.
Provide Bathroom Breaks
Sometimes the dog can’t complete the sleep cycle due to inadequate bathroom facilities or overeating or drinking before going to sleep. So, make sure that they don’t eat at least 1 or 2 hours before going to bed. Secondly, give them the nearest best possible bathroom place so that it completes the sleep cycle.
Daytime Naps Are Important
When the dog isn’t allowed to nap in the daytime then it becomes lazy, weak, and tired in the coming few days. Thus, causing an issue in overall health and the unnecessarily sleepy mood of the dog. So, train them and provide a comfortable daytime nap environment.
Frequent Health Monitoring
The dog’s sleep time increases or decreases significantly when its health deteriorates. So, monitor the health of your dog frequently and consult the veteran in case of any grave issues.
FAQs
Conclusion
Puppies sleep more than adults and senior dogs which is normal. But when adults or senior dogs sleep more than 16 hours a day, then it’s a serious concern. Try to provide a good diet, exercise time, a healthy environment, and a comfortable sleeping space to the dog for recovery of the sleep duration of the dog.