Is My Dog Sleeping Too Much?

Our dogs love to sleep… a lot. The average, healthy dog sleeps anywhere between 12 to 18 hours a day. But can our dogs sleep too much? There are medical conditions or illnesses that can lead to your dog oversleeping. It can also be hard to figure out if your dog is sleeping too much if you aren’t home during the day and aren’t sure what they are up to. Here are some reasons your dog could be sleeping more than needed and how to solve this problem!

Dog Sleep Pattern

In general, our dog’s sleep way more than we do. Why is that? Well, dogs have two sleep patterns: slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. When dogs are in rapid eye movement sleep, they are in a deep sleep. However, they are only sleeping in rapid eye movement sleep 8-12% of the time. Because of this, they have to nap often to get rest. They have to make up for their small amount of high quality sleep by sleeping more often!

Illness

If your dog is abnormally sleepy, this could be caused by a medical condition or a medicine they are taking. Hypothyroidism is a disease that affects the thyroid gland and can cause your pup to be tired and sluggish. Luckily this problem is easily treatable with medication. Another disease that could cause this sleepiness is diabetes. When dogs have diabetes, they get rid of glucose through urination instead of using glucose for energy. Therefore, they obviously are dramatically more tired. Once again, this disease can be treatable with medication. If you notice the signs of these, be sure to visit your vet ASAP so they can get your dog on the right medication.

Dogs can also become sleepy and tired from other diseases such as:

• Parvovirus
• Distemper
• Kennel cough
• Heartworm
• Leptospirosis
• Heart disease
• Liver disease

Depression

It may seem odd, but our dogs can become depressed from dramatic life events. If someone in your home passes away, a family member leaves the home, or another dog in your family dies, they can become depressed. This can lead to sleeping more than normal. If you think your dog may be suffering from depression, visit your vet. Many professionals say that dogs should recover from depression in few months, but it is important to let your vet know.

Age

During the life cycle of a dog, their sleep pattern is a roller coster. When dogs are puppies, they need lots of sleep because of all the energy that they are exuding. Then when they are older (7- 10 year and over), they need a lot of sleep again. Larger dogs move into this “senior status” earlier than small dogs, meaning they start showing the signs of aging earlier- such as sleeping more frequently.

Other Factors

In general, larger dogs sleep more than smaller breeds. Dogs that aren’t very active actually sleep more than very active dogs. Because they are bored and inactive, they will just sleep. Your dog’s food can also effect their sleep quality. If they are eating low quality food, they can feel sluggish and sleep more.

Overall, don’t worry too much about your dog’s sleep. They are just sleepers by nature. If you do notice a change or excessive sleepiness, let your vet know so they can treat the issue!