Your dog probably sleeps much more than you do. They fall asleep on the couch, doze off in short bursts, wake up, change position, go back to sleep, and then repeat the cycle later.

At night, they might snore, twitch, move their paws, wiggle their lips, or make small sounds. In most cases, these behaviors are normal. They are part of a dog's sleep.

But sleep is worth paying attention to, because it also provides information about comfort, recovery, respiratory status, age, pain, stress levels, or certain pathologies.

Dogs don't sleep like humans, "just longer." Their sleep is more fragmented, spread out over several periods of the day and influenced by their environment, age, activity, and health status.

What studies show

Dogs exhibit a true sleep architecture, with phases comparable to those described in humans: drowsiness, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep.

However, their sleep is organized differently. It is polyphasic, meaning it's distributed in several episodes over 24 hours, instead of being concentrated mainly in one long nocturnal period.

A historical 24-hour study on six Pointers described sleep episodes of approximately 45 minutes, wake episodes of approximately 38 minutes, REM sleep episodes of approximately 6 minutes, and an average sleep-wake cycle of approximately 83 minutes.

These figures should not be used as universal norms. The study involved a small number of dogs, of the same breed, under specific conditions. It remains primarily interesting for understanding the fragmented nature of canine sleep.

More recent work, conducted on adult companion dogs tracked by actigraphy for 14 days, confirms that sleep-wake rhythms vary according to several factors: age, sex, weight, activity, and lifestyle.

In other words, there isn't one "good" sleep pattern that applies to all dogs. It's always necessary to consider the individual dog, their habits, and changes in their behavior.

Biological mechanisms

Sleep architecture

Dog sleep comprises several states.

Drowsiness corresponds to a transitional phase. The dog appears to be sleeping but remains relatively reactive to noises, movements, or what's happening around them.

Non-REM sleep corresponds to a more stable sleep. It contributes to physical recovery and the general regulation of the body.

REM sleep is a particular phase, associated with more intense brain activity, rapid eye movements, and decreased muscle tone. It's often during this phase that twitching, small paw movements, jaw movements, or brief vocalizations are observed.

These manifestations can be unsettling, but they are very often normal when they remain brief, occasional, and the dog wakes up normally afterward.

Influence of activity and location

A dog's sleep isn't fixed.

After a more active day, dogs might fall asleep earlier and spend more time in deeper sleep phases. Conversely, an unusual, noisy, or stressful environment can alter sleep structure.

Location also matters. A dog doesn't necessarily sleep the same way at home, in an unfamiliar place, in a kennel, while traveling, or in a context where they feel less secure.

Normal duration according to age

An adult dog generally sleeps a lot over 24 hours, but the exact duration varies greatly.

Puppies sleep more, which supports their growth and neurological development.

Older dogs may also sleep longer, but their sleep sometimes becomes more fragmented. In some seniors, nocturnal restlessness, frequent awakenings, or a reversal of the sleep-wake rhythm can accompany cognitive aging.

Therefore, it's not solely the quantity of sleep that matters. A change from the dog's usual pattern is often more significant than the number of hours itself.

What this means day-to-day

A dog that moves a little in their sleep isn't necessarily having a seizure.

Small twitches, paw movements, jaw movements, or brief sounds are compatible with REM sleep. They should not be automatically confused with a neurological disorder.

However, a long, violent, repetitive episode, accompanied by a loss of control, prolonged disorientation, significant salivation, or abnormal behavior upon waking should be taken seriously.

It's also best to avoid abruptly waking a deeply sleeping dog. A dog startled from sleep may reflexively defend themselves, especially if they are elderly, in pain, anxious, or hard of hearing.

A dog that sleeps a lot isn't necessarily sick. What should draw attention is primarily a change:

• a dog that suddenly sleeps much more than before;
• a dog that seems exhausted during the day;
• a dog that no longer recovers normally;
• a dog whose sleep becomes very restless;
• a dog that snores loudly when they didn't before;
• a dog that exhibits respiratory pauses;
• an elderly dog that wakes up, wanders, or seems lost at night.

Key pathologies to know

Sleep-related breathing disorders in brachycephalic dogs

Brachycephalic dogs are particularly prone to sleep-related breathing disorders.

This includes French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Pugs, Shih Tzus, Boxers, and more broadly, dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).

Recent studies show that brachycephaly, the severity of BOAS, and overweight status increase the risk of obstructive breathing disorders during sleep.

In practice, this can manifest as:

• significant snoring;
• restless sleep;
• frequent awakenings;
• respiratory pauses;
• noisy breathing;
• a tendency to sleep with the head elevated;
• unusual positions to breathe better.

In these dogs, snoring should not be automatically considered "normal for the breed." Marked snoring can be a sign of actual respiratory discomfort.

Narcolepsy-cataplexy

Canine narcolepsy is rare but well-documented.

Some familial forms have been studied in Dobermans, Labrador Retrievers, and Dachshunds. In 1999, a major study showed that a mutation in the hypocretin/orexin receptor 2 gene was involved in familial canine narcolepsy.

Cataplexy corresponds to a sudden loss of muscle tone, often triggered by a positive emotion: excitement, play, food, anticipation of a reward.

The dog may then collapse or suddenly lose their posture, while appearing to remain conscious or partially conscious. For an owner, this presentation might be confused with an epileptic seizure, although the mechanism is different.

This type of episode always warrants veterinary attention.

Sleep in elderly dogs and cognitive disorders

In senior dogs, sleep can change with age.

An older dog may sleep more, recover more slowly, or have more fragmented sleep. This can be compatible with normal aging.

However, certain signs should suggest cognitive dysfunction or another medical problem:

• repeated nocturnal awakenings;
• wandering at night;
• dog appearing lost;
• day/night reversal;
• nocturnal vocalizations;
• unusual restlessness;
• very fragmented sleep;
• decreased interactions or disorientation.

These signs do not automatically mean that the dog has cognitive dysfunction. They primarily indicate that a veterinary check-up is necessary to find the cause: pain, metabolic disease, neurological disorder, anxiety, medication side effect, or cognitive aging.

Other causes of abnormal sleep

A sudden change in sleep can also be linked to:

• chronic pain;
• a hormonal or metabolic disease;
• a respiratory disorder;
• a heart condition;
• a medication side effect;
• prolonged stress;
• sensory loss in an elderly dog;
• a decrease in activity or enrichment.

Sleep is rarely an isolated sign. It should be interpreted alongside the rest of the dog's behavior.

For which dog, at which stage

Brachycephalic breeds require particular vigilance: French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pug, Boxer, Shih Tzu, and dogs with noisy breathing or suspected BOAS.

In these cases, significant snoring, respiratory pauses, and nocturnal restlessness should not be trivialized.

Overweight dogs are also more susceptible to sleep-related breathing disorders, especially if they are already brachycephalic.

Dogs from lines at risk of familial narcolepsy, especially Dobermans, Labrador Retrievers, and Dachshunds, deserve special attention in cases of emotion-triggered collapse episodes.

Senior dogs represent another important profile.

With age, sleep can change, become more fragmented, and sometimes be associated with cognitive disorders or other illnesses.

Dogs in pain, with arthritis, or suffering from chronic illnesses can also experience poorer quality sleep, with frequent awakenings, changes in position, or less effective recovery.

When to consult

Veterinary advice is recommended if you observe:

• very marked snoring;
• respiratory pauses during sleep;
• chronically restless sleep, especially in a brachycephalic dog;
• repeated nocturnal awakenings;
• excessive daytime sleepiness in a previously alert dog;
• a recent and unexplained increase in sleep time;
• a reversal of the day/night rhythm;
• sudden collapses with loss of muscle tone;
• episodes resembling a seizure;
• an elderly dog who seems lost or restless at night.

The goal is not to worry about every twitch or small sound during sleep. The goal is to identify changes, respiratory signs, and possible neurological episodes, because they can reveal a real problem in the dog.

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Sources

1. Bódizs R, Kis A, Gácsi M, Topál J. Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 2020;33:25-33.
2. Woods HJ, Li MF, Patel UA, Lascelles BDX, Samson DR, Gruen ME. A functional linear modeling approach to sleep-wake cycles in dogs. Scientific Reports. 2020;10:22233.
3. Lucas EA, Powell EW, Murphree OD. Baseline sleep-wake patterns in the Pointer dog. Physiology & Behavior. 1977;19(2):285-291.
4. Niinikoski I, Himanen SL, Niskanen S, et al. Evaluation of risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2024;38(2):837-846.
5. Niinikoski I, Himanen SL, Niskanen S, et al. Description of a novel method for detection of sleep-disordered breathing in brachycephalic dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2023.
6. Lin L, Faraco J, Li R, Kadotani H, Rogers W, Lin X, Qiu X, de Jong PJ, Nishino S, Mignot E. The sleep disorder canine narcolepsy is caused by a mutation in the hypocretin receptor 2 gene. Cell. 1999;98(3):365-376.
7. Bunford N, Reicher V, Kis A, Pogány Á, Gombos F, Bódizs R, Gácsi M. Differences in pre-sleep activity and sleep location are associated with variability in daytime/nighttime sleep electrophysiology in the domestic dog. Scientific Reports. 2018;8:7109.
8. Mondino A, Delucchi L, Moeser A, et al. Sleep and cognition in aging dogs. A polysomnographic study. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2023.

9. Summary of bracketed sources

Meta title: Dog sleep: duration, cycles, and disorders to know

Meta description: Dog sleep differs from ours: polyphasic sleep, short cycles, REM sleep, brachycephalic respiratory disorders, narcolepsy, and sleep in elderly dogs.

URL slug: dog-sleep-cycles-pathologies

Main keyword: dog sleep

Secondary keywords: dog sleep cycles, dog sleeps a lot, dog sleep disorders, brachycephalic dog apnea, dog narcolepsy, elderly dog sleep, dog snoring

Blog excerpt: Dogs don't sleep like us. Their sleep is more fragmented, spread out over several periods, and influenced by their age, activity, environment, and health status. Certain changes, especially respiratory, neurological, or age-related, should be identified early.