{"id":9343,"date":"2022-01-26T12:02:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T12:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/?p=9343"},"modified":"2023-02-10T15:54:23","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T15:54:23","slug":"how-many-hours-a-day-do-dogs-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petpedia.co\/blog\/how-many-hours-a-day-do-dogs-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Hours a Day Do Dogs Sleep? Interesting New Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know that some dogs tend to sleep a lot. But not many people know how many hours are too many and when they should be worried about their dog\u2019s health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to find out.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Many Hours a Day Do Dogs Sleep?<\/span><\/h2>\n

It is perfectly <\/span>normal for dogs to sleep between 14 to 22 hours a day<\/span><\/a> depending on their age, health, size, and breed. With puppies and senior dogs sleeping considerably more. If you notice your dog sleeping less or more than usual, we highly recommend discussing it with your veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>\n

(AKC, 2020)<\/span><\/p>\n

Dog Sleep Statistics<\/span><\/h2>\n

Check out the stats below to learn more about how dogs sleep at different ages, sleep positions, and much more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dogs have 20 sleep cycles in one night.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

(Taylor & Francis Online, 2018)<\/span><\/p>\n

A dog’s sleep cycle lasts for 21 minutes, after which they are awake for 5 minutes before they fall asleep again. So, although <\/span>dog sleep patterns<\/span> are the same as human ones<\/span><\/a>, these sleeping cycles can sometimes make it hard for people to sleep in the same room as their pet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Puppies sleep between 18 and 22 hours during a 24-hour period.<\/span><\/h3>\n

(NCBI, 2020 All Things Dogs, 2020)<\/span><\/p>\n

On average, the<\/span> puppy sleep schedule<\/span> includes 3.5-hour naps during the day and a 7\u2013hour sleep at night. It should be noted that these numbers are true for 16-week-old puppies. The research was conducted on about 2,332 puppies of that age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>puppy sleep schedule by age<\/span> might give you a much clearer picture of normal amounts of sleep for younger puppies.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Weeks Old<\/span><\/td>\nHours of Sleep<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1\u20137<\/span><\/td>\n22\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8\u20139\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n20<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10\u201313\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n18\u201320<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14\u201320\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n18<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

However, be aware that <\/span>puppies don\u2019t have steady sleep schedules initially<\/span><\/a>, and some owners report <\/span>puppy sleep regression<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Old dogs sleep between 14 and 20 hours a day.<\/span><\/h3>\n

(PetMD, 2018, PetMD, 2021)<\/span><\/p>\n

They sleep a lot more than younger dogs because they need more time to recover from their daily activities. But, if you notice some changes in their sleep pattern, don\u2019t hesitate to consult your vet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, if you do have an older dog, consider getting them <\/span>a comfortable bed to make their sleeping more pleasurable<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Larger dogs sleep up to 18 hours per day.<\/span><\/h3>\n

(AKC; 2019, PetMD, 2021)<\/span><\/p>\n

This might not be true for working dog breeds and service dogs, since they are bred and trained to react quickly and sleep less. But in general, big dogs need more energy to move their bodies, and thus, more sleep to recover.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are five common <\/span>dog sleeping positions<\/span>.<\/span><\/h3>\n

(PetMD, 2018)<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common sleeping position is a side sleeper \u2014 lying on the side, with legs extended.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other common positions are:<\/span><\/p>\n