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Have you observed that your puppy is a super sleeper and are now wondering: do puppies sleep a lot during growth spurts?
Not every dog parent is blessed with a puppy that knows how much sleep he needs. But even hyper puppies tend to sometimes sleep a little more than other times.
Especially for very active pups that might get you wondering whether that’s actually normal.
So, in this article we’ll look at whether puppies do indeed sleep more during growth spurts. And we’ll also look at a few other questions related to puppy sleep.
Do puppies sleep a lot during growth spurts?
Puppies need a lot of sleep. In fact, your puppy may need more sleep than you’re expecting.
While they’re young, puppies are doing lots and lots of growing. And all of that growing can be really exhausting.
Plus, a lot of that growing takes place while the puppy is sleeping. But while growing is, generally, gradual, sometimes a rapid amount of growing can take place all at once.
This is called a growth spurt. During these periods, your puppy may be even more tired than usual. So, if you find that your puppy is sleeping more than usual, don’t be too concerned. He’s probably just having a growth spurt!
How much sleep is normal for a puppy?
Puppies in general will need a lot of sleep during the day. Learning all about how the world works and experiencing all that growth is exhausting!
Sleep is also a chance for your puppy’s body to do a lot of the growing that it needs to do. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that your puppy gets all the sleep he needs.
So how much sleep does a puppy actually need in a day? It’s probably more than you might think. Your growing puppy should be getting around 18 to 20 hours of sleep per 24 hour cycle.
Why is my puppy sleeping so much all of a sudden?
If your puppy is sleeping more than usual all of a sudden, then you might be concerned. Is your puppy sick?
Most likely, the reason for your puppy’s sudden exhaustion is nothing to worry about. He’s probably going through one of his growth spurts, and needs more sleep.
Sometimes external factors can also affect how tired your dog is. If something is going on in your house that is stressing him out, then he may need to sleep more.
While sleeping more than usual is fairly normal for a puppy, it could also indicate something more is going on. If your dog is sick, then he’ll show other symptoms. If your puppy has a combination of these symptoms and excessive sleeping, you may want to call your vet.
Do growing puppies sleep a lot?
Yes! Growing is a whole lot of work. And a lot of that work needs to happen while your puppy is sleeping.
How much your puppy sleeps will actually depend on a lot on what stage of growth he’s in. They tend to sleep the most when they’re very young, and are able to stay awake longer when they’re older.
However, during your puppy’s adolescence, around 6 to 12 months old, you may find periods where he’s sleeping more again. Like human teenagers, this is a stage where your puppy is experiencing another peak in development. He’ll probably need more sleep because of that!
How often do puppies have growth spurts?
Depending on your dog’s breed, your puppy won’t be an adult until he’s around a year or two. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than larger breeds. So, for example, a Shih Tzu will mature faster than a Great Dane.
While your dog is still in puppyhood, he’ll experience growth spurts at different times. But the frequency that puppies have growth spurts is dependent on a lot of things.
Ultimately, all puppies are individuals. Your puppy’s growth spurts may not happen at the same rate as someone else’s puppy. Just keep an eye on your little guy. As long as his sleepiness isn’t accompanied by other things like lethargy when he’s awake, diarrhea, or other symptoms, then it’s entirely natural.
How do you know if your puppy is going through a growth spurt?
If your puppy is growing through a growth spurt, the biggest indication will be that he’s sleeping more than usual.
Of course, you can tell by measuring how big he’s getting, too! If it seems like those legs are suddenly longer, then your puppy’s probably just gone through a growth spurt.
How much do puppies sleep at…
14 weeks old?
Your puppy is going to need a lot of sleep for a long time. Growth is gradual, after all!
When your puppy is a newborn, he may sleep even more than the recommended 18 to 20 hours. His waking moments will mostly be spent nursing.
But once your puppy reaches around 10 weeks old, he’ll start being more active during his waking hours. At around 14 weeks, you can expect your puppy to continue sleeping for 18 to 20 hours a day.
During his moments awake, you may find that he’s a little ball of seemingly boundless energy. But that energy tends to come in short bursts, and afterwards he’ll be out like a light for a couple of hours.
6 months old?
Most puppies can be considered adolescents by the time they reach six months of age. And, like human teenagers, this is a stage where they’re doing a whole lot of growing and developing. You may notice some significant growth spurts during this time period.
At this stage in your dog’s life, he’ll need less sleep than a newborn puppy. That said, he’ll still need a lot of rest if you want him to be a happy and healthy dog.
Most 6-month of age, puppies will sleep somewhere around 15 to 18 hours a day.
8 months old?
Depending on your dog’s breed, by the time he reaches 8 months old he’ll most likely be at his adult size—or at least close to it. Since your puppy will be almost done growing, you can expect him to sleep a little bit less.
But your puppy will still need more sleep than an adult dog will. Once he reaches around a year old, he’ll be considered an adult. At this point, he’ll probably need around 12 to 14 hours of sleep every day.
How to make sure your puppy gets enough sleep
Sleep is crucial to your dog’s growth and health. It’s really important to make sure that your puppy is getting the sleep he needs throughout the day. Here are a few tips that will help you make sure your puppy is getting the sleep he needs.
Make sure to also check out these articles:
- Can a Puppy Sleep too Much?
- My Puppy Is Not Sleeping During the Day—What Should I Do?
- Help! My Puppy Won’t Sleep at Night
- 10 Tips to Make a Dog Go to Sleep
Establish a daily routine
Having a solid daily routine will help you and your puppy for a few reasons. Dogs thrive when they have routines. It helps to keep them calm, since they know exactly what to expect and when.
But a daily routine will also help you. By following your new routine, you’ll be able to ensure that your puppy gets everything that he needs to stay happy and healthy.
Don’t worry if your daily routine doesn’t look the same as someone else’s. You and your puppy are both individuals, and it may take some trial and error to find what works for you both. But once you do, stick with it!
This free puppy schedule planner will help you do just that!
Crate train him as soon as possible
Some people avoid crate training because they think it’s cruel. But crates are actually really useful tools.
It all depends on how you use it.
As long as you establish the crate as a comfortable and safe space for your puppy to go, then your puppy should enjoy his time in there. He’ll find that it is a great place to go to calm down and get a little rest.
It’s never too late to start crate training your puppy. Are you ready to start but don’t know how to do it right? Here’s how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
Don’t exceed the “5-minute per month of age” rule
There’s a general rule when it comes to exercising your puppy. You should make sure that your puppy gets enough exercise during the day to keep him healthy.
But too much exercise can result in an overtired puppy. And an overtired puppy is not going to be a happy puppy!
So how much exercise should a puppy get? Take your puppy’s age in months and then multiply it by five. That’s how many minutes that each exercise session with your puppy should be. You’ll only need 2 or 3 of these sessions per day to satisfy your puppy’s activity needs.
Conclusion
Having a puppy is such a wonderful experience. One of the many fun things about having a puppy is watching him grow and change before your very eyes!
There are a lot of things that come with this growth. While your puppy is growing and experiencing growth spurts, you may find him sleeping a lot.
Don’t worry if this happens. As long as there are no other symptoms, it’s probably a perfectly normal thing. In fact, all that sleeping should be encouraged!
So, make sure that your puppy is getting the sleep he needs throughout the day and watch him turn into the well-adjusted adult dog you’ve been waiting for.