How To Get Your Dog To Sleep Through The Night

Just like humans, our furry friends need a good night’s rest. But if you’ve found yourself waking up to hear them tossing and turning, you might’ve wondered – how to get your dog to sleep through the night? And why is my dog’s sleep getting disturbed so often?

Sleep disturbances in dogs can be due to a whole bunch of reasons – some benign, others more serious. So we’re going to help you figure out both how to get your dog to sleep through the night, plus where a Sleep Tracker for dogs can help you spot health issues early.

Why is my dog waking up so much throughout the night?

Adult dogs naturally sleep 12-18 hours during each 24-hour period. But a dog that is restless or awake most of the night is sending you a message. They could be:

• Just growing up. Puppies only tend to sleep through the night once they’re 4 months and older, sleeping in fits and bursts until then.
• In need of more exercise, especially if you haven’t been at home and they’ve been dozing all day.
• Lonely, like if they’ve spent most of their day alone and now want to hang out with you.
• Lacking proper bedding, which makes a comfortable dog bed a must.
• Too hot or too cold,
• Adjusting to a new environment, which can feel disorienting at first. (Like a new apartment.)
• Needing to go to the toilet, so you can let them outside to relieve themselves.
• Struggling with bad dreams,
• Just getting older, with senior dogs being more at risk for cognitive decline – which usually turns up as a change in their sleep cycles.
• Sick or in pain, like from joint pain stemming from arthritis or digestive issues, such as from food intolerance. Watch out if your dog paces, whines, pants, or licks or bites their body in a harmful way. It could be that they have a medical issue that disrupts their sleep.

💡A Sleep Tracker for dogs can be a lifesaver if you’re wondering how to get your dog to sleep through the night. Helping you figure out how much quality sleep your dog’s getting, any sleep disturbances – and how to catch on to a potential health issue before it has a chance to worsen. (Which we’ll cover in detail a little further below.)

How to get your dog to sleep through the night

Once you understand the cause of your dog’s sleep trouble, you can adjust your pup’s daily routine to help them sleep better. It takes planning, but it’s worth the effort to develop good habits that help your adult dog and puppy sleep.

1) Provide more physical & mental activity

• Take several walks during the day or engage in vigorous play. A long evening walk, for example, can both get your dog enough exercise and wind down before bedtime.
• A puzzle feeder can help keep your dog mentally stimulated during the day. These devices require your dog to do a little bit of mental “work” to retrieve their dog food or dog treats. Your dog might need to tap a button or dig for their food, which makes eating an interactive rather than passive experience, as well as more time-consuming. Do some research or talk to your veterinarian and choose a puzzle feeder that’s right for your dog’s size and personality.
• A daily dog training session to work on basic commands like “sit” and “stay” can provide physical and mental stimulation. This is also good bonding time for you and your furry friend. 

2) Use chew toys to soothe your dog before sleep

Licking and chewing on something can help your dog release stress and relax. Tap into this natural tendency by giving your dog a favorite chew toy before bedtime to help calm them. Coat the chew toy with a little peanut butter to make the chew toy into a tasty bedtime treat. Consider placing the peanut butter-covered chew toy near your dog’s bed as you settle in for the night. Even the most reluctant pup will follow that treat straight into the dog bed!

3) Check for fleas or any other medical problem

If your dog seems restless and avoids laying down, it may be time for a visit to the veterinarian’s office. Does your dog have fleas that cause itching and discomfort? Or are there other medical issues, such as arthritis? Your vet can help to rule out serious health issues and recommend treatments.

Read more: Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Causes and Solutions For An Itchy Dog

4) Create a special, comfy sleeping area

You might want your pup to sleep beside you in your bed, but this almost guarantees that both of you will wake up during the night. A soft comforter or blanket folded in the corner of the room may be just what your pup needs for a restful sleep. Or, you can splurge on a fleece-lined memory foam bed for the ultimate doggie luxury.  

Your dog’s sleeping location matters, too.

• Is the room quiet, or are there pinging electronics nearby that could wake up your pup?
• Trains, traffic, sirens, or anything that could wake you up might also wake your dog.
• Try playing calming music or white noise to block out unwanted sounds that could disturb your pup’s sleep. (Dogs tend to calm down best when listening to soft rock or reggae.)

5) Take bathroom breaks before bed

Staying hydrated is important for your dog’s health, but not if midnight bathroom emergencies wake you up when the dog needs to go outside.

• Try managing your dog’s water intake during the day. Give your dog access to plenty of water all day, and offer extra water after an exercise session.
• But after your dog’s evening meal and accompanying slurp of water, cut back on the amount of water available to your pup. 
• Leave a small amount of water in your dog’s water dish overnight. That way, they’ll be able to get a few sips if they awaken, but not drink an entire bowl.
• It seems obvious, but remember to let your dog out to do their business right before you go to bed. Do not turn this into a play session. Make sure your dog actually urinates during this last-chance potty break.

Puppies require a few months to be housebroken and potty trained before they’ll develop the habit of urinating (and not playing) when let outside.

6) Turn off all of the lights

A quiet, dark space is the key to creating a calming environment for sleep. Close the blinds or curtains, and turn off all the lights. If you like to go to sleep with the television on and your dog is in the same room with you, set your TV to turn off after a certain time period.

If there’s still a bit of light outside when you and your pup turn in for the night in the summer, for example, consider getting blackout curtains. These light-blocking curtains can clip onto your existing drapes to make the room extra dark and cozy. Plug in a small night light so you don’t stub your toe if you need to get up in the dark.

A helpful bedtime routine for dogs

Most dogs do better with a routine than a sporadic sleep schedule. In other words, you want your pup to go to bed when you do, and wake up when you rise in the morning.

Here’s a sample evening routine:

• Playtime. When everyone’s back home, designate someone to engage the dog in a vigorous play session to burn off the energy your pup built up during the day. 
• Mealtimes. Feed your dog dinner at about the same time as your family is eating. This will give your dog plenty of time to digest their meal before bedtime.
• Post-meal walkies. After dinner, take your pup for as long a walk as you have time for.
• Post-walk chillout time. Let your dog relax after your walk. Enjoy some cuddle time or give your pooch a gentle massage. Start turning off lights and electronics in the house.
• One last potty break. By this point in your evening routine, your dog should know that it’s almost time for sleep. Let them out for one last toilet break.
• Chew toy. As they climb into their bed, offer a peanut butter-coated chew toy.
• Turn out the lights. Close the curtains, turn on some calming music or white noise, and darken the room as you leave.
• Finally, hop into bed for your own well-deserved rest at the end of a busy day.

Where a Sleep Tracker for dogs can be a lifesaver

Now if you’ve revamped your dog’s sleeping area, taken them out to do their business, and adjusted the thermostat – and they’re still waking up…it could be a red flag. A sick dog could seem completely normal, happy, or even healthy, while still struggling with pain, discomfort, or an infection. Meaning, it’s easy to miss out on changes in their sleep habits – often until it’s too late.

💡So imagine being able to track changes in your dog’s sleep and wakeup cycles – with just a glance at your phone?

Loved and trusted by dog parents all over the world, your trusty Tractive device logs in your dog’s movements throughout the day (and night) as “active” and “sleep” minutes.

Which, with time, can help you figure out:

• How much your dog tends to sleep throughout the day (when you’re not around)
• How much quality sleep your dog gets,
• If there’s a weird drop in your dog’s sleep quality – which could signal something’s wrong.

All of which can help you catch on to a health issue early, avoid a medical emergency (and staggering vet bills), and potentially save your buddy’s life, while at it!

“Absolutely love this tracker…it gives great insights on (our dogs’) activity and sleep levels.

I’m comforted knowing that if they started acting strangely or the data shifted drastically that we could take them to vet potentially before we would notice something wrong.

Can’t recommend this tracker enough!“

– Eva, US (Source: Trustpilot)

Stay on top of your dog’s wellness

See how they’re doing at a glance with Wellness Score. Set goals. Compare with dogs like yours. Monitor sleep. Detect issues and keep them healthy.

Track Your Dog With Tractive

Want a vet’s take on how to get your dog to sleep through the night? Here’s Dr. Michael Lazaris sharing his best tips:

And if you’ve found this post useful or know a loved one with an insomniac dog at home – share this post with them. So we can create a safer, healthier world for our buddies, one snooze at a time.