Dogs love to sleep. Don’t lie, your pup is likely snuggled up in her bed as you’re reading this. But how much sleep does a dog truly need? Will letting her lounge extra-long do more harm than good? What about not enough sleep?

Do questions like these keep you awake at night? If so, let’s have a look at what your pup’s ideal slumber cycle entails.

HOW MUCH SLEEP DOES MY DOG NEED IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD?

While the answer will vary depending primarily on your dog’s age, the range is from 8 to 13.5 hours.

As with humans, the bulk of it takes place during the night, but you can typically count on around three additional hours of nap time during the day. Unlike humans, who get their sleep in one solid block, dogs’ sleep cycles allow for a bit more flexibility when it comes to snooze time.

Here’s one very important thing to keep in mind as you assess your dog’s sleeping patterns:

THE AGE OF YOUR DOG MATTERS

A puppy will sleep anywhere from 11-20 hours per day due to intensive brain and body development. The more of each they need, the more they’ll usually sleep, just like human babies.

Unlike us, however, their habits will develop into adult dog habits by the end of their first year when they reach their full size and weight. As they inch toward senior status, they’ll align more closely with human habits and will require more down time for energy recovery. They’ll begin napping more frequently, as they did in their early stages, which is perfectly normal and reflects a slowing metabolism (also normal).

Regular checkups with your vet are important, so if a behavioral shift or an overall lack of energy seem to permeate their days, you’ll want to make sure you’ve crossed possibilities like arthritis or illness off the list.

But, there are other variables that come into play when it comes to sleep such as breed, diet, health, and activity levels.

For example, Bernese Mountain dogs are happy to let you sleep in, whereas the herding tendencies of border collies make for very alert canines. An overweight dog will sleep more than a fit dog, for example. An active dog will sleep better than a sedentary dog. And exercise helps induce deeper sleep, contributing to lower stress levels and better overall health.

HOW TO HELP YOUR DOG GET BETTER SLEEP

Your dog’s behavior and habits will naturally shift over the course of her lifetime, but being able to understand what is happening, and why, can certainly take the guesswork out of the mix.

And consistency will yield the most success when it comes to your dog’s sleep— because dogs LOVE routine.

A regular and special place for her to rest, along with a healthy amount of exercise to fuel the rest itself will definitely help. Spend time observing your dog’s habits and rely on tracking tools to help whenever possible so you can both rest easy. Overall wellness and a good night’s sleep is, at the end of the day, the goal for all.

Another way to get a hold on your pup’s sleep cycle is to track both exercise and sleep time using a smart dog collar that can help keep tabs on your dog’s wellness now and into the future.

HOW A SMART DOG COLLAR CAN HELP

The Wagz Freedom Smart Dog Collar tracks your dog’s step count, sleep time, companion time, and exercise time, and the patented Kognition™ platform uses Fit Units to tally your dog’s activity and wellbeing into one overall Health & Happiness Score.

Wagz Fit Units are a relative measure of how much energy your pet is expending (step count, exercise, companion time, sleep time, etc.) and take numerous data points into consideration to let you know how active your pet is from day to day.

This sort of information is crucial in understanding your pup’s wellbeing — especially if you’re wondering why your pup is sleeping so much — or not enough.

If you perceive a shift in sleep patterns and find she’s suddenly sleeping all day, take note of other behaviors to see if there’s cause for alarm. Is she slow to wake in the morning? Have her eating habits, behaviors, surroundings, or cognitive function changed?

While there’s not necessarily reason for alarm, play it safe—check in with your veterinarian.