Sometimes we might envy our dog’s life. All they do is play, eat and sleep. Though you might find it befuddling that your dog spends almost 12-14 hours of his day sleeping, it’s pretty much normal for a dog to snooze that long. For puppies, this sleeping time is even more i.e. 18 -20 hours. This is so because puppies need long hours of quality sleep for proper mental and physical development. It helps their brain to retain and understand things that are taught during the day. Just like humans, a dog’s brain also processes information and experiences rapid eye movement during sleep so, even if your dog seems lazy to you, he is certainly quite busy.
Factors That Affect Dog’s Sleep
If your one dog exhibits a different sleep pattern than the other one, don’t worry, probably it’s because of his age or breed. Yes, there are several factors that decide the sleeping pattern of a dog which includes –
- Breed and activity Level
- Size and age of the dog
- Health
- Life changes
Breed
A breed is an important factor when it comes to the amount of sleep a dog takes. Big dogs need more sleep because of their bigger body that needs more time to rejuvenate itself. Other than that, there is another factor i.e. a dog that hasn’t been bred for working or carrying out some physical tasks often sleep more than the ones who are bred for special purposes, like dogs in the army. Generally, breeds that are used as pets have a sedentary lifestyle and thus they spend most of the time sleeping. So no need to worry if your dog normally sleeps a lot.
Age and Size Of A Dog
An adult dog spends almost 12-14 of his time snoozing which is less in comparison to the older dogs and young pups. This is so because adult dogs have adequate energy which requires only 12 hours for the body to process things. On the other hand, older dogs because of their growing age and declined body functions get tired easily and thus need more sleep than an adult dog. When comparing the sleeping pattern of puppies to adult dogs, puppies rest a lot. Reason being, they are so active, have so much of energy to exhaust that when they fall asleep their body needs more time to gather that energy so they get up refreshed again with the same agility. Besides all that, dogs sleep in bouts and thus may fall asleep anytime.
Health
Sleep is an essential part of being healthy. Sleep deprivation in dogs can lead to a weakened immune system and low metabolic rate so it’s actually good that your dog sleeps for long hours. It must only be a concern if his sleeping pattern changes dramatically. Like, if he used to sleep less, earlier and he has suddenly started sleeping unreasonably long, you might have to consult your vet because a drastic or sudden change in sleep pattern is often associated with medical issues like depression, hypothyroidism, and diabetes in dogs. Keep a check on him and gauge his sleep patterns. If at all he seems lethargic and shows reluctance towards physical activities, he might have a medical condition.
Life Changes
Dogs or any pet for that matter doesn’t like changes in their lifestyle be it their sleeping time, eating time, play time or the place where they live. If there has been any change of that sort, your dog may require more sleeping time to elevate his mood as sleep heals his mind and helps in adjusting to the new environment or lifestyle pattern.
All of these factors affect directly to the sleeping pattern of your dog and thus must be taken into account first if at all you are worried about his prolonged sleep. Probably, he is just taking long naps because he usually does or is bored. In case he is bored, make sure you bring some kind of distraction in his life so he stays healthy because bored or distressed dogs often land up into depression. Otherwise, if he is sleeping the whole day without any underlying reason, let him enjoy it. Do not intrude his sweet, deep slumber.
You may also like to read: Handling Depression in Dogs in the Most Delicate Manner
