Last Updated on October 29, 2020
Been a while since you had a new puppy in the house? Or maybe it’s your first puppy ever? It seems they are either playing or sleeping all the time. So much sleep that you might even get worried. My new puppy is always sleeping, is he sick? Should I call the vet? How many hours does a puppy sleep?
Welcome (or welcome back) to puppy parenthood! It is messy, crazy, but most importantly adorable and fun. And with being a puppy parent comes lots of questions regarding how to give them the best care.
Table of Contents
How Many Hours Does A Puppy Sleep?
Puppy Behaviors
The things all puppies do includes sleeping, eating, drinking, peeing and pooping. A lot. All the time. It can be a huge mess so prepare yourself for the beginning.
They like to chew on EVERYTHING. Hands, furniture, your phone charger, shoes, you name it, and they will chew it.
Then there is the eating. Your puppy’s tummy is tiny and their little bodies need lots of energy to for all the growing they have to do. Multiple meals throughout the day are best.
Then there is the drinking. They drink a lot. This is a normal puppy thing. Especially if having free access to water is new to them compared to the place they came from.
The peeing and pooping comes next. It will also happen a lot and very frequently.
In between all the potty breaks, eating, chewing, drinking, etc. there is the sleeping.
Nap Times For Puppies
You may notice your puppy will be super crazy with energy! Running around like wild, getting the zoomies, looking like a little tornado took the same path your puppy did. Then all of a sudden, he is out! Snoozing away after running around like a little Tasmanian devil.
Puppies will play like crazy and then pass out; sleeping so hard, almost nothing wakes him. You worry so you try to wake him; he barely opens his eyes, repositions, and then goes right back to sleep. This is completely normal.
Just like human babies, puppies need their sleep. It allows them to rest and grow. Many will fall asleep after eating; full tummies make for good sleeping times. Most of the time, as mentioned, they will also nap very hard after play time.
The younger the puppy, the more he typically sleeps. As the puppy grows and ages, his nap times will decrease and as a result, his time being awake will increase.
How Much Do Puppies Sleep at Night?
The main thing to keep in mind is each puppy is different. Their time sleeping can vary from other puppies.
Some puppies sleep perfectly throughout the night with very little disruption. Other puppies wake up multiple times during the night. He may wake because he is hungry, because he needs to potty, because he thinks it is playtime, or because he is lonely being away from his littermates.
If your puppy wakes at night, it is best to figure out why so that you as a dog parent can help him through it. Take him out to potty, give him a snack, and then put him back to bed. I would not recommend playtime in the middle of the night.
While this would indeed tire your pup out, he may then begin to think playtime is always supposed to happen between 2 and 4 am and continuously wake you up for a round of tug-of-war.
With time, your puppy will sleep through the night once a schedule has been developed. If he still wants to wake you up in the middle of the night, do something exhausting before bed. Go on a long walk, play extra hard, anything to get him to use his last bit of energy before bedtime.
Related Post – Should I Crate My Dog At Night?
How much sleeping is too much?
Short answer: it depends. There is not a specific number of hours in a day a puppy should sleep. Just like humans, puppies require different amounts of sleep based on their own needs.
The first few days when you bring your puppy home, it is very normal for them to sleep an extensive amount. You have to remember, your new pup is in a new place with new people all of a sudden. Some puppies thrive in this environment, others require a little adjustment time.
After the first couple of days, your puppy will pick up on what is going on throughout the day and develop a sort of schedule. He will learn you are his new mom or dad that gives delicious food and lots of love.
As your puppy adjusts, he will begin to stay awake more during the day because of course he now wants to follow you everywhere and explore his new home. He will then establish more of his own schedule of eating times, playing times, and sleeping times.
Once you and your new fur child develop a schedule that works for you, it will become fairly repetitive. This will make it relatively easy to notice if your puppy is sleeping more all of a sudden.
As your puppy ages, he will need less sleep; if all of a sudden he starts sleeping more again, it may be time for a visit to the veterinarian to ensure nothing else is going on with your pup. Obviously, just one day of sleeping more isn’t necessarily a cause of concern, he may have just had a busier day than usual.
Puppies also sleep more if they are having a growth spurt. While they are sleeping, their body and bones are developing. That can take a lot of energy and can be exhausting for your little pup!
Overall Sleep Total for Puppies
On average, it is considered normal for a puppy to sleep up to 20 hours a day. That’s a lot!
A puppy that is 3 months old will need more sleep during his day than a puppy that is 6 months old. This is normal for the developmental cycle of a puppy.
There may actually be some times when you need to put your puppy to bed for a nap. Puppies can become overstimulated and overtired which can lead to extra naughty behavior. Let’s say your puppy is typically well behaved but today is just being a little terror! Silly as it may sound, he may just need a nap.
Some puppies just want to play and play and require their new mom or dad (you) to put them down for nap time. He will likely throw a temper tantrum at first and try to resist, but just put him in his typical sleep spot out of the way of stimulating sights and sounds.
Let him throw his little fit (most likely an absolutely adorable fit), do not rescue him despite the whining, and he will soon relax enough and drift off for a much-needed nap.
There is no exact answer for how many hours a puppy should sleep but a general average amount. Long story short, puppies sleep a lot and that is completely normal!
You’ll learn how many hours a day your puppy needs to sleep by his behavior. With any new situation, there is a learning and adjustment curve. Don’t stress over it – before long, you and your new baby will be settled into a happy routine full of playing, learning, and napping.
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