Mary Allen
As a rule, our dogs sleep at night and are active during the day. But even during the day, our dearest four-legged friends like to treat themselves to one or the other break.
Could it be because your dog is restless at night? Does he perhaps sleep too much during the day and is that even possible?
How long do dogs sleep at night and do they sleep through the night? What if the dog often changes sleeping places at night or runs back and forth restlessly? What does it mean when Bello is restless at night and smacks his lips?
Questions over questions! We bring light into the sleep rhythm of your dog child, so pay attention!
In a nutshell: Why is my dog restless at night?
Just like us humans, not every night is the same for dogs. Dogs love sleep and need 17 to 20 hours of it a day. The quality of the night’s sleep is influenced by various factors.
Possible reasons for your dog’s restlessness at night could be that his bladder is tight, he is too warm or he has had a nightmare. But there can also be health reasons. If you are unsure, it is better to contact a veterinarian.
3 reasons your dog is restless at night
When the dog keeps you on your toes at night, it gets pretty tiring in the long run. That’s why it’s important to diagnose the reason for his restlessness and turn off the sleep predator.
Of course, our dogs are all individual and there are countless possibilities why your dog might have a nervous wave during the night.
Here are 3 possible causes:
1. He has nightmares or fear
Our dogs dream at night just like we do to process what they have experienced. That is why restful sleep is extremely important for them. Unfortunately, our dogs are also occasionally plagued by nightmares. Then sleep can suddenly come to an end – who does not know that.
If your dog wakes up from a frightening dream and may have been startled, it may well change its place. Even if something scares or disturbs him right where he sleeps (noises, annoying flies, drafts, heating, etc.), it can send him through the corridors at night until he has found a new and safe sleeping position.
It is not uncommon for it to be the same dog bed again after some time of searching.
2. He needs to go out to solve or eat grass
If your dog is restless at night, he may have to go outside. Even if you have taken your evening walk as usual, it can also be out of order that your dog has to go out at night. We humans are also aware of this.
If it presses, then it presses, without looking at the clock!
Does your dog indicate that he wants to go outside and is smacking his lips? Then he could have heartburn. If the stomach is too acidic, dogs want to eat grass and possibly throw up. Try getting your dog to eat some treats, which can help with heartburn.
Good to know:
If your dog has frequent problems with stomach acidity, changing the diet could help. Please consult a veterinarian or a canine nutritionist. Maybe it’s enough to change your food ritual and feeding times a bit.
3. He is too warm
If your dog is too warm at night, this is also a good reason to get up and change places. It can sometimes happen that the dog constantly changes its sleeping place at night because nobody is good enough for it.
Especially in summer you should make sure that he has access to a cool place and of course fresh water around the clock.
Tip:
If your gut feeling tells you something is wrong here, please contact a veterinarian! There can be many health reasons not listed here as to why your dog turns night into day. In order to rule out illness and pain, it is advisable to visit the vet more often than not enough!
How much sleep do dogs need?
In fact, our dogs need between 17 and 20 hours of sleep or rest a day. That would be ideal!
Sick or old dogs and puppies also like to sleep more to recover, regenerate, learn, process and grow.
During the day, however, dogs are not always in a deep sleep.
Most of the time they doze off and are immediately ready when a chicken crows somewhere! At night, when everything is quiet and your life is also pausing, it is easier for our dogs to fall into the deep sleep phase and they need it just like we do!
Interesting:
Can you see why some dogs really have to be forced to be quiet? Since most of them have the urge to always be with their master or mistress, to watch out and to run everywhere, they often miss the chance to relax in between.
Tirelessly going on and on, they would do anything for us until we were totally exhausted. So it’s really up to us to teach them rest and downtime, ideally from puppyhood.
Dog always has to go out at night – how to break the habit?
If your dog always has to pee at night, you should reconsider your daily routine.
When is the last time your dog eats and drinks? When do you go on the last evening lap and when do you go out early in the morning?
Maybe the time at night is just too long for him. In this case, you should simply push the evening lap a little further back.
If the fact that your dog keeps waking you up at night because he has to go outside doesn’t change anything, this may also have a health reason. Please clarify this with your veterinarian!
Conclusion
There can be many reasons why your dog is restless at night. Some of these are harmless and you can deal with them yourself at home.
But illness or pain could also be a reason why your dog wakes you up in the night.
Watch your dog closely and contact a veterinarian if you are worried and something seems strange.