We all need our sleep, dogs included. Think about how you feel when you have not had a good night’s sleep.
You wake up the next morning feeling agitated and grouchy.
It can also have a negative impact on your overall health if your poor sleeping cycle continues.
The same applies to dogs, which is why it is vital that you help your dog to sleep better if he is struggling to get the Zzz he needs.
With that in mind, read on to discover some of the best tips to help your dog sleep better.
Why is your dog struggling to sleep?
Before we reveal how you can help your dog get a better night’s sleep, it is important to get to the bottom of why your dog is struggling to sleep soundly in the first place.
There are a number of reasons why this may be the case, including the following:
Lack of activity
One of the common reasons why dogs, such as Afghan Hounds and other hypoallergenic dogs, do not sleep soundly is because they have too much energy.
If they have not exhausted this energy during the day, they are going to struggle to drift off at night.
Anxiety
If your dog is feeling stressed out or anxious, this will often lead to a poor night’s sleep.
Serious pacing and frequent repositioning are likely consequences of this, especially if you have an older dog.
There are many different reasons why your dog may be feeling this way.
It could be because he is suffering from a certain medical condition, or it could be because you have recently changed your home or returned to work.
Getting to the bottom of the stress and nervousness they are experiencing is important.
Aging
Another common reason why dogs struggle to sleep properly is that they are getting older.
When a dog ages, they go through a number of physiological changes.
This includes hearing and vision impairments.
Situations like this can have a serious impact on the way that dogs are able to fall asleep, and just how deep the sleep is.
Different tricks to try to get your dog to sleep better:
Consider their sleeping environment
When you rest your head at night, you need your sleeping environment to be just right.
If you are too warm or cold, you will be uncomfortable and struggle to fall asleep.
The same applies if your bed is uncomfortable or your bedding is dirty.
Well, dogs need to have a good sleeping environment too. Make sure they have a cozy place to sleep.
This is where a good-quality dog’s bed comes into play.
Combine this with a warm blanket, which will help your dog to relax and enjoy its sleeping environment more.
You may even want to consider having some form of a low sound nearby to help your dog feel more comfortable and drift off.
For example, you could opt for white noise from the radio, or you could simply go for a clock that has a rhythmic ticking sound.
Aside from this, do your best to make sure there is no excess light shining through and that loud noise from outside is reduced as much as possible.
Don’t share your bed
While it can be tempting to let your dog sleep in your bed, especially if he is having trouble going to sleep.
However, as mentioned earlier, consistency is so important for your furry friend.
Studies have shown that 63 percent of pet owners that share their bed with their dog have a bad night’s sleep.
For you, you can end up suffering allergies, and that is without mentioning the possible barking and movement.
It’s not all rosy for your dog either.
If you are tossing and turning throughout the night, your dog will struggle to get a good sleep.
Not only this, but when they need to go back into their own bed, it can be confusing, and this can cause further issues with getting to sleep.
Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise
If your dog is not active enough during the day, this may be why he is having trouble sleeping.
When a parent wants to get their child to sleep, they try to tire them out throughout the day.
It is the same concept as your pet.
Depending on the size or breed of your dog, he should spend at least 30 minutes to two hours every day exercising.
Generally speaking, the bigger the dog, the more exercise is needed.
Although, as mentioned, the breed of the dog plays an important role too.
Hopefully, these tips will help your dog sleep better!