Who this article is for: you're wondering whether your dog sleeps too much, too little, or whether its daily rhythm is typical for its age. This is educational material grounded in research on canine sleep - it doesn't replace a visit to the vet when you see specific health symptoms.
A dog's sleep is one of the most underrated indicators of health. A healthy dog with the right conditions and a predictable daily rhythm usually sleeps in a fairly stable pattern that fits its age. In a dog under chronic stress, with health problems, or without enough stimulation, sleep can become shorter, longer, or more broken up.
A dog's sleep isn't one long block but many short cycles spread across the day and night. Adams and Johnson (1993), in a study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, observed that dogs in a home environment go through an average of 23 sleep-and-wake episodes during eight hours of nighttime observation - cycles of about 16 minutes of sleep and 5 minutes of wakefulness. The total number of sleep hours depends on age, breed, physical activity, health, and environment.
In this article you'll find a dog sleep table by age, the key factors that shape the rhythm, the signs worth talking over with your vet, and practical ideas for keeping an eye on the quality of your dog's sleep.
Dog sleep table by age
The ranges below are averages from veterinary literature. Your dog may sit at the low or high end and be perfectly healthy. The key is a stable rhythm and good sleep quality, not a specific number of hours.
| Dog's age | Sleep per day | What's typical |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy up to 4 months | 16-20 hours | Intense brain and body development. Very short windows of activity (a few to several minutes) mixed with long naps. Range reported in clinical veterinary literature. |
| Puppy at 4 months | ~11 hours | Per the Kinsman et al. (2020) cohort, n=2332: median 3.5 h during the day + an average of 7 h at night. Activity sessions noticeably longer than in younger puppies. |
| Puppy at 12 months | ~11 hours | Per the same cohort (n=1091 at 12 months): median 3 h during the day + an average of 7.3 h at night. The rhythm approaches that of an adult dog. |
| Adult 1-7 years | 10-14 hours | An established daily rhythm, with REM and deep NREM sleep phases. The dog wakes easily to stimuli. A wide range, depending on activity and breed. |
| Senior over 7 years | 14-18 hours | A gradual increase, with more naps during the day. Sometimes less deep sleep at night (Takeuchi and Harada, 2002). |
Worth noting: the numbers from Kinsman et al. (2020), a cohort of more than 2,000 puppies, are a bit lower than the popular claims online about a "puppy sleeping 16 hours." The lower numbers in the study may come from the methodology (a questionnaire filled in by the owner, where it's easy to underestimate daytime naps). Your dog's actual number may be higher if it sleeps in many short blocks.
A dog that's very active mentally and physically (a border collie with an owner who works it, long walks) may sleep closer to the low end of the range and be perfectly healthy. A naturally calm dog (a basset hound, a bulldog) may sleep longer and also be healthy. What matters most is a stable rhythm - if your dog has averaged 12 hours over the past year and suddenly sleeps 17, that's a sign to pay attention, even if the number falls within the statistical norm.
What affects how long a dog sleeps
Breed
Small breeds (chihuahuas, Yorkshires) usually sleep less (8-12 hours). Large breeds (mastiffs, Saint Bernards) sleep more (14-18 hours). This may be tied to things like metabolism and a breed's typical activity level. Breeds bred for long stretches of work in the field (border collies, huskies) usually need more stimulation, and when they don't get enough exercise they paradoxically sleep shorter and more restlessly.
Daytime activity
The right amount of activity during the day often helps a dog rest better. A dog that gets a well-matched dose of exercise and mental work usually sleeps more soundly and wakes up less often. A dog lying around the house all day with no stimulation may sleep shorter and with more wake-ups, even though on the surface it "does nothing" all day.
Stress
In a dog under chronic stress, sleep tends to be shorter and with more frequent wake-ups. In some dogs, stress can also worsen the quality of deep sleep and the phases tied to recovery. After weeks of poorer rest, you may see changes in behavior (irritability, less appetite, less patience) and a generally lower mood. If the symptoms persist, it's worth watching what goes along with the changes and, if in doubt, checking in with your vet.
Health
Thyroid conditions (especially an underactive thyroid) can lower energy and lengthen sleep. Kidney and liver conditions can disrupt the daily rhythm. Pain (for example, tied to joint degeneration in seniors) is often a common cause of wake-ups. Any sudden change in the amount of sleep after years of a stable rhythm is a reason to book a visit with your vet.
Environment
Noise, bright light at night, an uncomfortable bed, a room that's too warm - all of this lowers sleep quality. A dog that doesn't have a steady, quiet place to rest sleeps worse even with a normal number of hours.
A dog's sleep and separation anxiety
A dog that struggles with being apart from you often sleeps differently than a dog without those difficulties. A study by Tooley and Heath (2022), published in Animals, showed a link between shorter or poorer-quality sleep and more frequent, more intense behavior problems (including signs of separation anxiety). Shorter or more broken-up sleep can go hand in hand with bigger difficulties while you're away.
While you're away, a dog with separation anxiety may show:
- Shorter sleep and more frequent wake-ups - sleep tends to be fragmented, with much shorter blocks than the typical cycles.
- A state of alertness in the last hours before your expected return - the dog listens, paces, waits.
- Lighter, less restorative sleep - the dog may recover less well despite spending a long time at home.
The result is often limited recovery, which can lower a dog's overall mood and well-being. Some dogs also develop compulsive behaviors (licking paws, chasing their tail) as a way to release tension. If you see health symptoms, it's worth checking in with your vet.
Dale et al. (2024), in a study of a cohort of 6-month-old puppies, noticed that puppies without separation difficulties slept and rested more than those with symptoms. The authors stress that the findings are correlational and need to be confirmed in intervention studies - they suggest that enough sleep in the puppy stage may be one of the factors tied to a lower risk of separation behaviors, but they don't prove a simple cause-and-effect link.
That's why observing your dog after you get home isn't enough on its own. A dog that "handles 8 hours alone well" by your assessment when you return (didn't destroy anything, didn't leave a puddle) may not actually be recovering during that time. There's more in our article on alone-time training.
When it's worth checking in with your vet
An increase or drop in sleep on its own isn't a reason to panic yet. Reasons to check in come up when you notice specific patterns:
A senior suddenly sleeps more than 22 hours a day. Possible causes: an underactive thyroid, joint pain, a chronic condition, or age-related neurological changes. An increase from 14 to 18 hours in a dog over 8 is normal, but extreme values are worth checking.
A puppy (up to 4 months) sleeps less than 14 hours. Not enough recovery during the growth stage. Possibly inflammation, an unsuitable environment, or overstimulation - puppies are easy to overtire.
An adult sleeps under 9 hours or over 16 hours. Extreme values in an adult dog are worth checking. Not enough sleep can come from things like stress, pain, or discomfort. Too much sleep is sometimes tied to chronic conditions, obesity, or an underactive thyroid.
Sleep broken up every 30 minutes for several nights in a row. Frequent wake-ups can limit recovery. The reason may be mental (stress, a change in surroundings) or physical (pain, a urinary issue).
Your dog wakes you up 4-5 times a night. The occasional wake-up is normal. A repeating pattern is a signal: a urinary issue, pain, unease, an underactive thyroid.
Restless sleep - intense leg movements, howling in sleep, twitching. Small movements during REM are natural. Intense, regular ones with vocalizing are worth talking over with your vet, especially in seniors.
How Merdilo helps you keep an eye on your dog's daily rhythm
Merdilo - a dog monitoring app - doesn't measure sleep directly and isn't an activity tracker your dog wears. What it does give you is an indirect read on your dog's rhythm while you're away, based on the sounds it makes.
- Long stretches of quiet (more than 45 minutes with no sounds) may suggest your dog is sleeping or resting calmly.
- Frequent sounds every 10-15 minutes may suggest your dog isn't resting - it could be stressed, bored, or reacting to something in its surroundings.
- The Calm Score after each session is a numeric summary of the quiet stretches and the sounds - the higher it is, the longer the quiet stretches and the fewer the intense episodes.
- Comparing results across several days helps you notice whether your dog regularly isn't recovering while you're away, even if individual sessions look fine.
Lining up one day after another can be telling. A dog with a Calm Score of 75 on Monday (after a quiet weekend with you) and 45 on Friday may have gotten worn out over the week. The Calm Score doesn't replace a sleep study, but it can be a practical, indirect read on the daily rhythm - there's more on it in our article what the Calm Score numbers mean.
See how your dog sleeps and rests when you're away
A second device you already have at home (a phone, tablet, or laptop) becomes a camera for watching over your dog, with real-time recognition of barking, howling, and whimpering. The Calm Score after each session helps you gauge how peaceful your time away was.
Frequently asked questions
My dog sleeps 16 hours a day and is 3 years old - is that normal?
The upper end of normal for an adult dog is about 15 hours, so 16 is a little over. Check: is your dog energetic during active time, eating normally, with no weakness or weight loss? If everything else looks fine, it's probably just your dog's natural tendency. If other signs show up, book a visit with your vet.
Should my dog sleep through the night as long as I do?
Mostly, yes. A dog living at home adapts its rhythm to yours. Most adult dogs sleep 6-8 hours at night (alongside you) plus naps during the day (3-6 hours). Together that fits the 12-14 hour norm for an adult dog.
A senior dog sleeps a lot - how do I know if it's too much?
More sleep on its own (from 14 to 16-18 hours) is natural in dogs over 8 years old. Warning signs: loss of appetite, trouble moving, disorientation, no response to stimuli, sleeping more than 22 hours a day. Together, these are a reason to check in with your vet.
Do puppies really sleep 20 hours a day?
Yes, very young puppies (up to 4 months) can sleep as much as 18-20 hours a day. It's a time of intense brain and body development that calls for a huge amount of recovery. Short windows of activity (from a few minutes to an hour) mixed with long naps are the norm. For some dogs the real sleep time will be lower - it depends on things like activity level and how you count the naps.
My dog wakes up a few times at night - what should I do?
First check the basics: does your dog need to go out, is there water, is the bed comfortable? If your dog regularly wakes up for no clear reason (4-5 times a night), it's worth checking in with your vet - it could be pain, a urinary issue, or unease. Sometimes more exercise during the day helps.
Summary
- Adult dog: 10-14 hours of sleep a day. Puppies (up to 4 months): 16-20 hours (clinical range). Seniors: 14-18 hours.
- The key is a stable rhythm, not a specific number. Your dog may sit at the low or high end of normal and be perfectly healthy. A dog's sleep is many short cycles, not one long block.
- Factors that shape it: age, breed, daytime activity, stress, health, environment.
- Separation anxiety is sometimes tied to shorter and more broken-up sleep - despite spending a long time at home, a dog may not be recovering (Tooley and Heath, 2022).
- When to see the vet: a sudden change in rhythm, a senior over 22 hours, an adult dog under 9 hours or over 16 hours, frequent wake-ups at night.
- Merdilo helps you keep an eye on your dog's daily rhythm indirectly - long stretches of quiet may suggest sleep or calm rest, while frequent sounds may point to your dog not resting peacefully.
Sources
- Adams, G. J., Johnson, K. G. (1993). "Sleep-wake cycles and other night-time behaviours of the domestic dog Canis familiaris." Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 36(2-3), 233-248. Sleep-wake cycles in domestic dogs: an average of 23 episodes over 8 hours of night.
- Tobler, I., Sigg, H. (1986). "Long-term motor activity recording of dogs and the effect of sleep deprivation." Experientia, 42(9), 987-991. Measurement of a dog's motor activity over the daily cycle and the effect of sleep deprivation.
- Kinsman, R., Owczarczak-Garstecka, S., Casey, R., Knowles, T., Tasker, S., Woodward, J., Da Costa, R., Murray, J. (2020). "Sleep Duration and Behaviours: A Descriptive Analysis of a Cohort of Dogs up to 12 Months of Age." Animals, 10(7), 1172. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Sleep in puppies at 16 weeks and 12 months in the "Generation Pup" cohort.
- Tooley, C., Heath, S. E. (2022). "Sleep Characteristics in Dogs; Effect on Caregiver-Reported Problem Behaviours." Animals, 12(14), 1753. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. The link between sleep characteristics and the intensity of behavior problems in dogs.
- Dale, F. C., Burn, C. C., Murray, J., Casey, R. (2024). "Canine separation-related behaviour at six months of age: Dog, owner and early-life risk factors identified using the 'Generation Pup' longitudinal study." Animal Welfare, 33, e60. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Sleep and rest versus separation difficulties in 6-month-old puppies (Generation Pup cohort).
- Takeuchi, T., Harada, E. (2002). "Age-related changes in sleep-wake rhythm in dog." Behavioural Brain Research, 136(1), 193-199. Changes in the sleep-wake rhythm in senior dogs.
- AAHA (2015). "2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines." Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. aaha.org. Clinical guidelines for veterinarians on dog behavior.
This article is educational. A single change in how much your dog sleeps isn't a reason to panic - what matters more are changes you see over several days and the signs that go along with them. If you notice a sudden change in behavior, loss of appetite, disorientation, or other concerning symptoms, check in with your vet or a dog behaviorist.