Dog sleep

Jack Russell terrier snuggles with his teddy bear. Image for dog sleep tag page.
Simply touching your dog helps reduce your blood pressure.

Understand dog sleep is key to keeping your pup happy and healthy.

Most sleep an average of 12 to 14 hours per day. Puppies and old dogs can sleep up to 20 hours per day.

Sleep behavior: Most dogs adjust their sleep patterns to spend more time with their owners. Unlike humans, your faithful friend sleeps in bursts throughout the day. Dogs typically experience sleep-wake cycles of 16 minutes asleep, 5 minutes awake.

Understand sleep positions: Wonder about why dogs tend to sleep curled up? Sleep positions reveal information about the dog’s personality. For example, nervous dogs will sleep curled up. Confident dogs will rest on their backs.

Help your dog get a good night’s sleep: Puppies, overweight dogs, and senior dogs all can struggle to sleep all night. But you can take steps to help them get enough rest.

Sleep safety: If you sleep with your pup, practice sleep safety. Make sure your dog’s paws are clean, watch for fleas and ticks and give your dog enough space.

Should you sleep with your dog? Science says sleeping with your dog helps you to get a better night’s sleep, reduce stress, improve your heart, lower your blood pressure, reduce pain, boost emotional health, and reduce the risk of allergies. Women who sleep with dogs feel safer. To make sure your dog gets enough rest, consider whether sleeping with you is restful for him. Your dog might be happier sleeping in his bed if you snore or are a restless sleeper.