Dogs need sleep to relax and reset from the day's activities but have you ever wondered how much sleep dogs need in a day and what their specific sleeping patterns are?
All doggos need a good snooze but how much sleep should dogs be getting? Should they be sleeping the same amount as their human owners? Let’s take a look at sleep cycles in dogs and find out how much sleep a dog really needs.
Just like the saying, it is important to let sleeping dogs lie. Sleep is a very important function for all animals. It helps them to recover from both the mental and physical exertion from the day. Sleep and health are highly intertwined. The UK Mental Health Foundation states, “poor sleep can increase the risk of having poor health, and poor health can make it harder to sleep.” Sleep is ultimately needed for the body to relax and reset.
To fall asleep, dogs will find a place/position where they feel safe and comfortable. Then the dog will close its eyes and drift through the different stages of sleep. There are two basic types of sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep, which are each linked to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. There are 3 different stages of non-REM sleep and 1 stage of REM sleep (referenced by the The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke):
Yes! This occurs most during REM sleep. You can sometimes tell if your dog is dreaming because they will bark, run or twitch in their sleep.We like to think they're dreaming about chasing squirrels and snacking on Monch bars!
Dogs will sleep in almost any position. We have consolidated some of the more common ones and what they mean:
This position means that your dog feels safe and relaxed in their environment. They do not feel the need to protect any vital organs. It is also an indicator that they are at a comfortable temperature.
This position means that your dog is at rest but is also ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. This is not typically a position dogs are in during a deep sleep.
This is a common sleep pose for high energy dogs. It usually means they are resting but also ready for play at any moment.
This position means that your dog is trying to protect itself by tucking away its vital organs. This position is more commonly seen in anxious or timid dogs. It could also be an indicator that your dog is cold.
This position means that your dog completely trusts you and their environment. They are making no effort to protect their vital organs because they feel safe and comfortable.
The amount of sleep a dog needs varies depending on factors like breed, age, activity and health status. The average number of hours adult dogs tend to sleep is between 12-14 hours, while puppies need more, around 20 hours per day. Dogs tend to sleep the most between the hours of 9:00PM and 6:00AM, with some power naps dispersed throughout the day.
References
UK Mental Health Foundation “The importance of sleep”. (2016). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/importance-sleep
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke “Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep”. (2020) https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep
Casper. “10 Dog Sleeping Positions + The Adorable Meaning Behind Them” (2020). https://casper.com/blog/ca/en/dog-sleeping-positions/
Takeuchi, Takashi, and Etsumori Harada. "Age-related changes in sleep-wake rhythm in dog." Behavioural brain research 136, no. 1 (2002): 193-199.
Bódizs, Róbert, Anna Kis, Márta Gácsi, and József Topál. "Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance." Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 33 (2020): 25-33.
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