Do you feel like you have a lazy dog that just lays around and sleeps all day? Instead of thinking about how much of a lazy mutt your dog is, let’s answer the age old question of how much dogs are really supposed to sleep.
If you have an older dog, it probably does seem like they are sleeping all day. The average adult dog will sleep approximately half of their live away, ranging around 12 hours a day of sleep. If you think that seems high, some dog breeds can actually sleep up to 18 hours a day! That leaves only 6 hours a day for you to interact and play with your four legged friend!
I’m sure you lead a much busier and more production life than your dog and require less sleep. So why does a dog need to sleep so much?
Let’s go to TheDogBowl for our answer, where they state:
Since dogs sleep like humans, there are still two main types of sleep: rapid eye movement (REM) and slow wave sleep, but unlike us they wake up more frequently than we do. So, although it may seem like your dog is sleeping so much, really there are far more breaks and interruptions than may initially meet the eye.
Plus the type of dog overall indicates how much your dog will sleep. For instance, a search and rescue dog will sleep less than a dog living in a home as a pet. The level of activity your dog gets will also hinge on the amount of sleep; your pet will sleep more than a dog that’s in motion 24/7.
Dogs may sleep out of boredom, but they also know when to be awake and aware of their surroundings and next thing you know, they’re back to taking a nap. Age plays a factor as well; as you can imagine, older dogs sleep more than younger dogs do.
It’s also important to realize the importance of getting a good solid night of sleep. Imagine someone waking you up while you are sleeping, and how hard it is for you to get back to sleep sometimes? Now think about your house and being a dog trying to sleep while everyone is making noise. It can be quite a stressful place sometimes, so when you dog does find time to sleep, try and let them sleep soundly and not annoy or try to wake them up.
One way to ensure your best friend has the best sleep possible, is to make sure they have comfortable sleeping conditions. A quite area with comfy blankets or even a dog bed would do wonders for a comfortable and quite sleep area. When preparing an area for your dog to sleep and rest, simply think about what you would like to have, and they will appreciate you that much more.
