Why dogs fall asleep so quickly

It's typical for a dog to put their head down and fall asleep as soon as they do. To what does this strange property owe its existence?

There is a good reason why dogs can fall asleep so quickly. This is partly due to the dog’s natural needs and partly due to its daily routine and habits.

This is the reason why dogs fall asleep quickly

A dog needs more sleep than a human, which is typically between 12 and 14 hours a day, depending on the age of the animal. However, in the case of puppies, for example, we can talk about sleep requirements of up to 20 hours. This is also linked to the fact that the dog falls asleep quickly.

Because they need a lot of sleep, they can fall asleep faster than we can.

However, dogs are alert sleepers, meaning they can wake up just as quickly as they fell asleep to react to a potential threat. They inherited this trait from their ancestors.

“Dogs prefer to sleep little and often and will spend a shorter amount of time in REM sleep (which is when your dog enters the dreaming phase — twitching, moving, vocalizing, etc.) compared to humans” explained veterinarian Dr Corinne Wigfall.

As far as night sleep is concerned, the sleep cycle of dogs is quite predictable. According to animal behaviour expert Aaron Rice, they tend to go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up as soon as it turns to light, which is because a dog’s biological clock is directly affected by the amount of light.

You often tire yourself out

As well as being in line with their physical needs, fast falling asleep is also because active dogs – and especially puppies – tend to tire themselves out by the end of the day.

A puppy needs to recharge as quickly as possible to have energy for the next adventure with you.

Have you noticed that your pet is available for a walk almost anytime, day or night? This is also due to its natural ability to wake up and become active faster.

We, humans often think about our day before we go to sleep. But dogs simply fall asleep and pick up where they left off.

If They can’t fall asleep, they may be stressed

There are also cases where the dog has difficulty falling asleep or is very restless during the night. If this happens regularly, it may be worth seeking veterinary advice as it may be due to stress or anxiety. At this time, the dog may need the help of a human or animal companion to fall asleep.