What happens if my dog doesn’t sleep enough? Here’s the Answer

Why Your Dog Might Not Be Getting Enough Sleep

Much like humans, dogs need adequate sleep to help them stay healthy. In fact, the average dog needs up to 20 hours of sleep every day. However, sleep patterns can be disrupted by any number of problems, including:

Brachycephalic airway syndrome, a form of sleep apnea. Flat-faced breeds, such as pugs, are susceptible to this condition, in which the animal’s physical features can disrupt breathing and make it hard to breathe.

REM sleep behavior disorder. Typically when a dog is dreaming, their mind is active, but their bodies aren’t; in fact, they are effectively paralyzed. REM sleep behavior disorder prevents that paralysis, though, causing the dog to act out their dreams, sometimes violently, keeping them from getting adequate rest.

Age. As dogs get older, some develop neurological conditions similar to Alzheimer’s, which make them restless and confused and unable to sleep.

Trauma. Some dogs, especially those who have been rescued from abusive situations, have a form of PTSD that keeps them from sleeping well. Some dogs also experience anxiety or sadness, which can be brought on by their environment.

Sometimes, dogs simply don’t sleep because they are uncomfortable. They might be too cold or warm, or feel hungry or ill. There may be something happening, such as an animal outside, keeping them awake. A dog who is used to sleeping with it’s humans might also have trouble settling into a new routine if you stop sleeping with pets for some reason. Typically, those disturbances are short-term, though, and can be easily remedied.

If you are not allowing your dog on the bed or furniture (yes you can by the way, this does not make them dominant), they need multiple options, each dog is different and have different bed preferences, cave, flat, thick, bean bag, beds with lips for dogs like short nose breeds, that need to lift their head to help them breathe, and some like some dogs like being covered up. Before you say it, no they are not “just a dog” and should not “just be grateful they get anything!” Some people who don’t let their dogs on the furniture have a daily battle with their dogs getting up there, or worse the dogs become aggressive. Think about it, we often appear or become threatening first, Dave the dog is lying there minding his own business, nice and comfortable on the sofa or bed, having a lovely rest and then we suddenly come in telling them to get off, or sadly drag them off by their collar. Over time they start to defend themselves and no they don’t know they shouldn’t be on the furniture, they can just read in your body language that you are angry and this can be as simple as a look, so they either appease you with slinky body language as they don’t want conflict or they use aggression to defend themselves. I know what I am like when I am disturbed from sleep, ask my poor husband!

Just like us sleep is vital for dogs, it gives the dogs body time to heal, a dog deprived of sleep will have a weakened immune system therefore more prone to sickness and putting them at risk of serious conditions. Lack of sleep also has a huge effect on mood state. As humans suffer from fatigue and increased risk of obesity, due to lack of sleep, we would be fooled to think this is not a risk for dogs too.

Crates ideally should not be forever. Of course some dogs love them and would choose the crate or den area over everything else, that is absolutely fine just be sure they are getting adequate sleep in there.

This is another problem for some dogs particularly if you have this throughout the house, dog’s over heat quickly so having a place they can go where it is not heated is important. I get complaints about dogs digging up the garden, if your dog digs a hole and then lies in it, the main reason will be because either they have no comfortable place in the house or because they are digging to get to the cool earth underneath, if you don’t like it provide them an equivalent like a cool bed in the shade.

A final point to consider is how comfortable is your dog’s collar. If you can, pop it round your neck, arm or leg and lie down on it, is it comfortable does it dig in. Take collars off at night to give them a break, popping it back on in the morning before breakfast, it’s always advisable to take collars off when puppies are in crates anyway, incase they get their tag trapped which can cause choking and particularly when two dogs are left alone together as there has been many cases, where the dog has caught its jaw in the other dog’s collar, there are always risks they can get hung on things.

Why sleep is important for dogs

Like for humans, sleep is crucial for dogs. High quality sleep has been proven to enhance a dog’s cognitive functions and help puppies retain commands more accurately. Good sleep is linked to emotional stability and confidence in canines. As mentioned, sleep is crucial to the healthy development of a puppy’s nervous, immune, muscular and skeletal systems.

Signs your dog isn’t getting enough sleep include increased irritability and aggression. They may overreact to everyday stressors or begin experiencing intense separation anxiety. It’s also possible your dog could forget learned commands or where to find a familiar spot in the home if they’re not getting enough Z’s. Perhaps most obvious (and easiest to spot) is extreme sleepiness.

Just like people, dogs can develop sleep disorders. If your dog exhibits any symptoms of sleep deprivation, it’s possible they have an issue with falling or staying asleep. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs in canines with short muzzles like bulldogs, pugs and Frenchies. Snoring or choking noises while your pup snoozes, followed by extreme sleepiness during the day are strong signs your dog has obstructive sleep apnea.

Arthritic dogs might have trouble falling asleep due to joint pain. Keep tabs on how your dog moves and whether they have issues climbing up and down stairs, into the car or onto the couch. Hunched bodies and increased irritability are common. (VCA Ark Animal Hospitals says pain could also be the cause of too much sleep. Your dog might refuse to move off their bed because it hurts.)

Alternatively, some pups fall asleep at odd times. Dogs who faint or collapse during energizing activities like playing fetch could be suffering from canine narcolepsy. This is a neurological disorder known to cause muscle weakness and drowsiness. Thankfully it is not life-threatening and can be treated with a prescription from your vet.

If it seems like your dog is sleeping too much (say, more than 14 hours or over half of their day), talk to your vet. Diabetes and hyperthyroidism could be the culprit. Interestingly, your dog could also be experiencing hearing loss. Since canines don’t spend much time in deep REM sleep, they awaken easily to sounds and other disturbances. If they can’t hear anything, they’ll keep on dreaming.

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At Sleep Foundation, we personally test every product featured in our reviews and guides. This hands-on approach allows us to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations for mattresses, pillows, sheets, and other sleep essentials.

Dogs have an enviable life. After sleeping all night, they spend their days napping in sunbeams and dozing on the couch. When they do wake up, they’re often energetic enough for an immediate game of fetch. Animals like dogs sleep differently than humans do, and these differences can cause many dog owners to wonder if their dog is sleeping too much or not enough.

There’s more than one answer to the question of how many hours of sleep a dog needs every day. Like us, dogs may need more or less sleep depending on their age, health, location, and lifestyle. By learning more about how dogs sleep, it’s easier to understand your own dog’s sleep patterns and notice any changes or causes for concern.