My puppy won’t nap without me, what can I do?

What can I do if my puppy won’t nap without me?

Have you ever asked yourself this question?

Well, rest assured, you’re not alone. Lots of new puppy parents experience this issue. And while it’s super cute at first that your puppy only wants to sleep in your lap, it gets pretty difficult pretty quickly.

So, in this article I’ll show you what you can do if your puppy won’t nap without you. But first, let’s look at where the issue is coming from.

Why does my puppy not want to sleep alone?

Puppies need a lot of sleep. Their bodies are developing, their minds are growing, and there’s so much to learn about in the world. All of that is a lot of work!

If you want your puppy’s brain and body to develop properly, then you need to make sure he’s getting enough sleep.

But what if your puppy will only sleep when he’s with you? Being with him 24/7 to make sure he’s sleeping just isn’t realistic!

There are a few reasons why your puppy may have a hard time napping without you. Before getting into that, here are a few related articles:

• Do Puppies Sleep a Lot During Growth Spurts?
• My Puppy Is Not Sleeping During the Day—What Should I Do?
• Can a Puppy Sleep Too Much?  

He’s never been alone before

If you’ve just gotten your puppy, one of the main reasons why he may not be sleeping alone is because he’s just not used to being by himself!

When your puppy was born, he had his mother to look after him. He also had all of his littermates, and that’s a lot of company!

But when he comes to you, and you leave him alone for his naps, that could be the first time that he’s ever been by himself. That can be really difficult to adjust to.

He’s scared

Coming to live with you is a big adjustment for your puppy in the first place. For his entire life, he’s lived in the same place with all the same dogs and people. Now he’s suddenly brought to this completely different place with a total stranger.

You’d be pretty scared too if you were in that situation!

Because your puppy finds his new situation fearful, it may be difficult for him to settle down for a nap by himself. And because you’ll quickly become the most familiar and comforting thing to him, he may only feel safe enough to sleep if you’re nearby.

He’s used to sleeping around some warm puppy buddies

Have you ever seen puppies nap? Usually, they sleep in a big pile together. It’s comforting and it feels nice for them to all sleep next to each other’s warm little puppy bodies.

If your puppy was just taken away from his littermates, then sleeping on his own can be a really big and challenging shift. Your little guy is so used to sleeping with his buddies, but he can’t do that anymore!

The closest thing to that experience he may be able to find is sleeping next to your warm body. 

How do I calm my puppy down for a nap?

It might be sort of cute at first that your puppy won’t sleep without you. But it will very quickly become inconvenient. And besides, as much as you love your puppy, you don’t want to have to watch him and be with him non-stop.

That’s just not a realistic expectation!

So how can you get your puppy to settle down for a nap without you? Here are a few tips you’ll want to try.

Make sure you also take a look at these related articles:

• My Overtired Puppy Won’t Sleep—What Can I Do?
• 10 Tips to Make a Dog Go to Sleep
• How Do I Get My Puppy to Sleep Longer?  

Should I force my puppy to nap?

As you already know, puppies need a ton of sleep because they’re doing so much work growing up. But how much sleep does an 8-week old puppy need, for example?

Puppies generally need about 18 to 20 hours of sleep for every 24-hour cycle. And it’s really important to make sure that your puppy is getting that sleep if you want him to be healthy and well-behaved!

Some puppies are good at knowing when they’re tired and need a nap.

Others? Not so much.

If your puppy isn’t great at recognizing when it’s naptime, then enforcing nap time will help make sure he gets the rest he needs.

Should puppies nap in their crate?

Have you crate trained your puppy? If you haven’t now’s the time to start!

Crate training your puppy will be useful for a lot of reasons. For one, it’s somewhere he can go while you’re away and you know he won’t be able to destroy anything.

For another, it’s a great, quiet place for him to go for a nap!

If you haven’t started crate training yet but you’re ready to learn more, check out a good crate training schedule for a puppy.

Make sure you also take a look at how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps. 

Give him one of your worn shirts

When your puppy comes to live with you, you very quickly become the most familiar thing to him. And that’s exactly why he has such a hard time sleeping without you.

Your dog’s strongest sense is his sense of smell. Your puppy relies on his nose for a lot, including identifying things and people. He gets to know your unique scent, and that scent can become really comforting to him.

So, if he’s having trouble sleeping alone but you can’t be with him, providing him with something that has your scent can help. If you have a t-shirt that you’ve worn, try putting that in his crate with him. Having your scent nearby might be enough to give him the comfort he needs to settle down.

Slowly get him used to sleeping alone

When it comes to any kind of training, baby steps are usually the best way to go. And yes, teaching your puppy to sleep by himself is definitely training!

Instead of forcing your puppy into a situation where he feels super uncomfortable and scared, try taking smaller steps. Maybe try napping with him at first, then staying with him til he’s settled down and then leaving. Keep building up until you’re able to leave your puppy alone from the beginning to the end of his nap.

It can take some time, but with a little patience your puppy will learn that he’s safe—even when he’s by himself.

Why does my puppy never nap?

Puppies need a lot of sleep. But what if your little guy acts super awake and never seems tired? Does he really not need to sleep?

Your puppy definitely needs to sleep! And the reason why he’s refusing to settle down might not be because he has excess energy. It’s actually most likely because he’s overtired.

It sounds confusing, right? How can he have this much energy if he needs to sleep so badly?

If you’ve ever spent time around little kids, you may have noticed how bad they are at recognizing when they’re tired. And the problem with being overtired is that they start to lose control of themselves.

The same thing happens with your puppy. He’s no longer able to control himself because he’s so tired, and he needs your help!

For some tips and advice, check out these 10 overtired puppy symptoms and what to do about it.

Why won’t my puppy stay asleep?

Help! My puppy won’t sleep through the night!

If you’ve ever found yourself wailing these words while your little guy refuses to sleep, you’re not the only person with this problem. It’s really common for puppies to have a hard time sleeping through the night.

There are lots of possible reasons that could be. You might just not have a solid enough routine in place for your puppy. Your puppy’s hearing is also super sensitive, and he might be hearing noise that you can’t.

Whatever the reason, one of the best things you can do is crate train your puppy. He’ll have a much easier time relaxing once he’s properly crate trained than he will roaming around the house.

How to calm an overtired puppy

An overtired puppy is a frustrating thing. He needs rest, but he just can’t make himself settle down!

One of the best ways to calm an overtired puppy is by preventing him from becoming overtired in the first place. Make sure you have a schedule in place, and enforce naps if your puppy can’t regulate himself.

If you do find yourself with an overtired puppy, then you can try holding him to get him to settle down long enough for a nap. Take him from behind with one hand gently grasping his collar, and the other on his chest. This position should keep him from being able to bite you.

You should only need to hold him for a minute or so to get him to settle down. Then it’s straight to his crate for a nap!

Conclusion

If you’re having a hard time getting your puppy to nap without you, that’s a very common experience amongst new puppy owners. So feel better knowing that you aren’t alone!

And you’ll also feel better knowing that there are plenty of ways you can help your puppy relax by himself. Give the tips we talked about in this article a try. With a little patience and the willingness to try new things, you’ll be able to help your puppy nap peacefully on his own.