Dogs & Sleep: A Budding Romance

Wondering if your dog sleeps a healthy amount?

If you’ve ever looked over at your dog sprawled across the sofa at 2pm (after a full night’s sleep) and thought, “How can you possibly be tired again?” — you’re not alone. There are many factors that come into play: their age, their energy level and mental enrichment. There also is the aspect where your dog can be over sleeping (here's our article on that! if you still feel unsettle after reading this. Ok, let's deep dive in!

Most adult dogs sleep between 12 - 14 hours per day. That includes night-time sleep and daytime naps (often several) and it's normally driven by their energy level, drained by both physical and enrichement as sleep helps to recover and restore.

Another thing to add is that the sleep is also largely driven on your dog's age. Puppies will sleep between 18 - 20 hours a day in comparision to the 12 - 14 hours a day of an adult's sleep schedule. A puppy needs more sleep as they're growing rapidly, developing their brains, and learning constantly. All that development requires serious rest.

When to notice if it's more than what you've noticed. Sleeping a lot is normal. Lethargy is not.

You should speak to your vet if your dog suddenly sleeps significantly more or less than usual, seems difficult to wake, has low energy even during favourite activities and shows other symptoms (vomiting, appetite changes, weight loss, behaviour shifts). A sudden change in sleep patterns can signal pain, illness, or stress.