The sleep of dogs is as important as that of other family members and, if your dog is awake during the night, it will disturb everyone who sleeps under the same roof.
The usual thing in the world of dogs, which are already used to living with humans, is that they spend between eight and nine hours asleep during the night, which will be enough to get up with the energy they need.
At these times we will have to add several naps during the rest of the day. This is what a dog that is healthy and balanced does. Otherwise, it can affect your personality and, above all, your health.
Something that can become a problem is letting our pet sleep in the same room as us. You will soon get used to it, and then you will have a hard time losing that habit if you decide to suddenly sleep in another room because it bothers you at night.
Common Reasons for Sleeplessness
If you have just adopted an old dog or even a puppy, it is very normal for it to be difficult for him to sleep through the night and he comes to you to receive your attention, either because he is bored or because he wants to relieve himself.
Dogs sleep up to 20 hours a day at short intervals, so they need to adapt to your lifestyle and, at first, it usually costs them to sleep through the night in a row.
These are the most common reasons why your dog (especially an old dog) does not sleep at night:
- Changes in the routine: As it happens to humans, dogs are animals of routines, so it is advisable to let them rest more or less at the same time every day.
- Excessive heat at home: Dogs are usually very hot, so they will not stop moving if the temperature is too high at home and will move around throughout the night in search of fresh soil. Simply, the noise they make with their nails while walking can wake you up.
- Feeding: Do not feed the dog between one and two hours before bedtime, as it may be more challenging to fall asleep.
- It has too much energy: There are dog breeds that need a lot more activity than others, so if you don’t get enough out of it to blow off steam, it will come at the end of the day with much more energy than we do and it won’t sleep at night.
- Medical problems: If the dog is awake during the night, it may be because he can’t take it anymore and needs to relieve himself. This happens a lot to older dogs or dogs with health problems, which leads them not to be able to contain themselves for so many hours. A solution to not break your dream would be to put newspapers to ease it up a bit.
- Resist their calls: If the dog approaches your bed or calls you from the other side of the door, you must hold on and not go out to reward him with affection. If not, every time he wants your company, the dog will not hesitate to wake you up. It is difficult but necessary.
- Silence: Dogs are easily stimulated, so they need a place to rest quietly. If not, they will wake up with every little noise they hear and try to get your attention.
Obviously, each breed of dog reacts differently to different stimuli, but you must be patient and always take positive measures for the animal, with rewards. If you act negatively and lock the animal in a room where it does not want to be, it will be harder for him to fall asleep and he will always receive it as a negative.
With this series of tips, you can make your old dog and you live much more comfortably since sleeping well is essential for both him and you.
