Your dog can’t tell you if they’re not feeling well and sometimes that can be the underlying cause of sleeplessness. However, if you’ve recently adopted your dog from a reputable shelter, it’s highly unlikely they are suffering from any health problems you haven’t been told about (unless it’s something minor that’s developed since they left the shelter such as an upset tummy). If you’re at all concerned though, it’s always best to have a chat with your vet.
Some dogs are unable to sleep through the night because their bladders don’t let them. This is more likely to be the case if you’ve adopted a dog that’s very young or very old.
It’s obviously a good idea to make sure you take your dog outside just before bed. If you do still need to get up in the night, don’t forget the advice about making night-time boring. Praise successful toileting but save the cuddles and bonding sessions for daylight hours.
It stands to reason that a dog who didn’t get enough exercise in the day, won’t feel tired when it comes to bedtime. So upping the number of walkies and play sessions is always worth considering.
Don’t forget about mental stimulation either. We’ve got lots of tips and tricks to Keep your dog entertained.
Sometimes a dog can’t sleep because something in their environment is disturbing them and making them anxious, scared or just alert. This could be a noise, something they see or even a smell.
Try to get a dog’s-eye-view to see what the problem is and deal with it. If the issue is noise, some gentle music or white noise can work wonders. (This may not cut it if it’s fireworks or a thunderstorm though – try distracting your dog with a long-lasting chew.)
We can all feel a bit less able to cope when we haven’t had enough rest so if your dog is keeping you up at night, it’s tough. But with a little bit of time and effort there’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t soon be sleeping perfectly.