Why Do Dogs Sleep So Much?

Dogs will often go to bed when their owners do, but they will typically take multiple naps during the day, coming up for a far greater total number of hours asleep per day compared to humans.

This is no accident - although they may be smaller than us, the biological makeup of a dog means they require far more sleep to maintain their health, mood, and more.

• puppies (under one year old) - 18-20 hours a day, gradually decreasing as they get older and become fully grown dogs.
• adult dogs - between 12 and 14 hours typically, although larger dog breeds may need to sleep for up to 18 hours a day
• senior dogs (over the age of seven years old, or five years and up for larger dog breeds) - 16-20 hours a day

Although dogs tend to be much smaller and weigh less than humans, their need for rest is far greater than ours. There are five key reasons why, according to vets:

• age - puppies are growing at a rapid rate, meaning they expend more energy biologically. Senior dogs tend to find daily activities more tiring 
• breed - larger, "working" dogs, like Great Danes and Basset Hounds, burn off more energy during the day, and need to rest more to account for the energy lost to maintain their build 
• health - dogs with health complications need to sleep more to promote healing, muscle maintenance, etc.
• activity level - dogs that like to run, play, swim, etc, need extra rest to promote the bodily maintenance and recover from daily activities
• diet - dogs on poorer diets that don't give them enough sustenance during the day will next extra sleep to maintain muscle, bone, and heart health, to name a few.

In comparison to humans, dogs have a much higher metabolism, meaning they burn off energy, fats, etc, much faster and with greater intensity, meaning they will need more rest - and sooner than humans do. Dogs also don't as much of the deeper, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) humans get, so their time asleep needs to be longer to be fully rested.

Although dogs sleep for a long time, it is natural for their biological needs. However, that doesn't mean dogs can't oversleep - which can be a sign of a health issue. If your dog's sleep routine suddenly changes and their need for sleep is greater, this should be kept a close eye on and noted for a vet to consider.

If any of these symptoms appear in your dog, contact a vet, as they may indicate an underlying health problem:

• sleeping far more than usual over a brief period of time
• lethargy or depression during waking time
• difficulty waking up
• excess sleepiness
• decreased appetite
• increased thirst
• excess drooling
• changes in skin or fur
• nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea 
• seizures or loss of consciousness
• butt scooting
• sensitivity over ears and eyes