How Much Do Puppies Sleep? 5 Puppy Sleep Schedule Tips

Puppies need a lot of sleep—between eighteen and twenty hours each day. Just as newborn human babies need lots of rest, very young puppies—those less than two weeks old—sleep for twenty-two out of twenty-four hours a day. Older puppies need slightly less sleep; a puppy that’s four months old sleeps more than eleven hours a day on average.

Older dogs, such as adult dogs and senior dogs, sleep between ten and eleven hours a day. However, daytime napping comprises more of a puppy’s total sleep schedule than nighttime sleep, while adult dogs sleep less during the day and more at night.

Puppies need a lot of sleep each day for several reasons. Sleep helps your puppy:

1. 1. Replenish energy: As all new puppy parents discover, puppies have seemingly limitless energy during their waking hours. They play hard with human family members and littermates, explore and interact with their new homes, and learn socialization by encountering other dogs in their environments. Maintaining that energy level requires plenty of dog food, water, lots of nap time, and a good night’s sleep.
2. 2. Grow: Sleep is essential for the well-being of a healthy puppy. In addition to regaining the energy they need during the day, sleep aids in building muscles for physical growth and endurance, as well as the development of their central nervous systems and immune systems.
3. 3. Learn: Puppies absorb a great deal of information while awake and active. That includes training, from housebreaking to crate training. Sleep allows their brains to process everything they’ve learned in a day and form memories that help them remember their lessons.

Follow these tips to help your puppy get the right amount of sleep each day.

1. 1. Create a sleep schedule. Puppies’ activity levels are so high they may not stop for good sleep if left to their own devices. Create a puppy sleep schedule so they get the rest they need. Divide early mornings, afternoons, and evenings into equal and consistent opportunities for mealtimes, potty breaks, playtime, and frequent naps. At night, establish a bedtime routine that includes feeding your puppy, taking them for a walk and bathroom break, and then putting them in their crate or sleeping area for nighttime sleep.
2. 2. Make their sleeping area quiet and appealing. Encourage puppies to sleep by making their sleep space comfortable. Keep a soft blanket and a toy in your puppy’s crate or dog bed and reduce light and noise to teach them that those conditions signal it’s time to snooze.
3. 3. Keep them active during the day. If you want a puppy to sleep at night, give them the exercise and stimulation they need during the daytime. Play and cuddle with your new dog, practice training exercises like potty training, and take them for walks. Let them nap when it looks like your puppy needs to rest.
4. 4. Discourage bad habits. Puppies and human babies often wake up many times throughout the night. If your pooch needs bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, take them outside and return them to bed with minimal interaction. Ignore attempts to play or attract your attention for any other reason than potty breaks.
5. 5. Be consistent. The best way to establish a sleep routine and ensure your puppy gets the right amount of sleep is to be consistent in your activities. Puppies thrive on regularity, so stick to your sleep schedule and nighttime routines every day to build lasting sleep habits.

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