Are you a pet owner who is worried about your dog’s sleepless nights? Does he spend a lot of time sleeping?

Has he recently developed that sleeping habit and are you concerned about it? Why do dogs sleep so much?

 If you are in any of these scenarios, this article is what you need to read through. It highlights how you can make your dog sleep at night, the sleeping duration’s of various dog breeds and why sleep is important to a dog.

How to Make Your Dog Fall Asleep

There are various techniques that you can use to help your dog have enough night sleep. They include;

1. Change the Dog’s Sleep Habits and Environment

​Create a serene sleeping environment: You can offer your pet a warm blanket for him to sleep. Place a ticking clock near him, or you can also play softly play a radio to lure him into sleep. Increasing warmth in his kennel by using a heating pad could enable him to sleep fast.​Train the dog to sleep in crates: If the dog has never slept in a crate, you can spare some time to teach him. Look for a suitable box to use. You can also place small treats at a corner inside the crate to encourage him to get inside it. Ensure that you use a confident voice as it assures him that getting into the crate is not a punishment.​Exercise your dog: Lack of enough exercise during the day may make your dog restless at night. Intensive exercises such as jogging could wear him out within 3 hours. However, the exercise duration is influenced by the dog’s fitness level, age, and breed. Avoid playing with him two hours before he sleeps to relax him.You can engage him in new sports such as fly ball, tracking or nose work as they will make him learn new skills. They increase his physical and mental stimulation which reduces boredom and strengthens your bond.​Formulate a late evening routine: Ensure that the dog defecates and urinates just before sleeping. Feed him some few hours before bedtime to give him adequate time to digest and excrete the food.try to create a calm atmosphere about one hour before his sleeping time. If he is anxious, give him Adaptil to help him keep cool.​Be patient: It takes time for new sleeping arrangements to manifest a visible effect on the dog. Ensure that the dog exercises a lot to wear him out completely hence preventing him from being nervous. Alternatively, you can seek an antihistamine drug such as Benadryl to help your dog adapt to the new changes.

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2. Consider Your Dog’s Sleep Challenges

​Analyze Possible Sleep Disruptions: There could be several issues that could be disrupting your dog. These include; a forthcoming trip, guests, having a new neighbor and nearby loud noises. Changing your furniture’s position could cause discomfort to a dog.try to think from the dog’s perspectives and make appropriate changes.

Examine your dog’s health status: If you have been keeping the dog for long and you notice that he is more quiet and inactive, there could be underlying medical problems affecting him. Consult a veterinarian on the pet’s behavioral changes such as restlessness at night, decreased appetite, and energy levels. Pain could make him whine at night and be nervous.          

Give a new puppy time to adjust to your yard: The animal may need several days to get accustomed to his new home. Set some ground rules from the beginning to create a routine. It helps him understand daily rituals that result in him falling asleep in the house. Feed him at a constant time in the evenings and later take him to a 15-20 minutes trip. Place him inside the crate and put it near you to attend to his needs.

How Much Sleep Do Dogs Need?

Dogs often sleep when their stimulation is low, and their owners are away. Puppies sleep longer than adult dogs, and one needs to balance their exercise, stimulation and rest periods. Adult dog’s sleep patterns depend on their size, age, and daily activities. Old dogs tend to sleep early and for long durations. Puppies sleep for 12-18 hours; adult dogs sleep for 14 hours, large breeds sleep for up to 18 hours while old dogs need more sleeping hours.

How Much Do German Shepherds Sleep?

These dogs are fond of sleeping. A German shepherd typically needs 8 hours of sleep in a day, but it might increase to 10 hours. During winter, the dogs tend to rest more under shadows, and hence they end up sleeping for more than 10 hours a day.

How Much Do Pitbulls Sleep?

Pit bulls sleep for 13 hours in a day. However, this might change depending on with their health state, energy level, and age.

How Much Do Chihuahuas Sleep?

​Newborn Chihuahuas sleep from 20-23 hours a day. They usually wake up after every two hours to drink milk. Puppies which are 2-6 months old sleep for 18 hours while those that are six months-1-year-old sleep for 16-17 hours.

Adult Chihuahuas that are 1-5 years old need about 12-15 hours of sleep a day. It includes day and nighttime naps. Healthy old dogs sleep for 16-17 hours, but the duration could reduce if they have medical issues.

​How Much Do Labradors Sleep?

​Labs are sports dogs that don’t get tired quickly. During summer they sleep for more hours compared to during winter seasons. A normal lab sleeps for 10-14 hours a day.

Why Dogs Sleep So Much?

The following factors could cause excess sleep in dogs.

Diseases: Treating diseases such as leptospirosis, heartworm, distemper, parvovirus, diabetes, and hypothyroidism could make a dog sleeper.

Most amateur dog owners are not experienced on how to take care of a dog. A dog’s well being comprises of adequately satisfying his physical, emotional and nutritional needs. Regularly deworming him after every three months to minimize internal parasites attack. They could adversely affect his health.It is important that you frequently trim overgrown nails and long hair. They could harbors tick and flea larvae hence resulting to severe infestation. Such parasites normally cause intense discomfort to animals hence deteriorating their health due to reduced appetite.

Depression: When a dog is depressed, it tends to sleep for long. It might need several months to recover from the depression.

Age: Puppies and senior dogs sleep longer than young adult dogs.

Size: Large breed dogs tend to sleep more than small breeds.

Food offered: Poor quality food makes a dog sleeper and feels sluggish.

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​Final Words About Dog Sleep

Why do dogs sleep so much? Although sleeping is healthy to dogs, too frequent and long naps could be a sign that all is not well. Healthy dogs usually sleep for 13-18 hours a day. You should create a calm environment for your dog to sleep comfortably.