How to Stop Your Dog from Waking You Up at Night
Consult a veterinarian about behavioral changes., Commit to a good sleep schedule., Respond to a dog's frequent urination., Spend more time exercising your dog., Alter your dog's feeding schedule., Reduce your dog's stimulation.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consult a veterinarian about behavioral changes.
If your dog is waking you up more than it used to, a medical problem could be affecting its sleep or stress levels.
Visiting a vet is an excellent first step so you can rule out this possibility, or catch problems early.
Even if your pet is not sick, a vet can help you pinpoint the cause.Any significant change in behavior or sleep schedule could be a sign of a medical problem.
Difficulty eating or eliminating could point to gastric distress that keeps your dog awake.If the dog wakes you up to beg for food in the night, it may be experiencing increased hunger due to diabetes or another metabolic disorder. -
Step 2: Commit to a good sleep schedule.
A regular, predictable sleep pattern makes it easier for your dog to adapt.
Do your best to go to sleep at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning.
While doggy sleep patterns are different than that of humans – they sleep up to twenty hours a day and sleep for shorter amounts of time – your dog will get used to your sleep schedule over time., If your dog wakes you up in the night to go outside, they may have a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection or Cushing's disorder.
A vet can diagnose your pet and prescribe medication to treat this problem.If your vet rules these out, your dog may have a weak bladder due to old age.
You can make you and your dog more comfortable by providing a pee pad.
A dog door is another solution if you have an enclosed yard and are not concerned about dangerous wildlife. , A great way to reduce the likelihood that your dog will wake you up is to tire them out before you go to sleep.
You can do this by increasing the amount of time you and your dog exercise together.
In the end, a sleeping dog won't be able to wake you up.
Go on a walk around the block with your dog.
Play Frisbee or fetch with your dog.
Allow your dog to run around your back yard or in a dog park., You can also decrease the chance of your dog waking you up by changing your dog's food schedule.
Ultimately, your dog might be waking you up because they're hungry or are still active because they ate really late.
If you think your dog is waking you because they're hungry, push back dinner time an hour or two.
This way, your pup's belly will be fuller for a longer time.
If you think your dog is waking you because they're hyper from the last meal, move dinner up a little bit.
Feeding your dog at 6PM might work more than feeding them at 8PM., Another reason your dog might be waking you is because they're still awake, energetic, or are just overstimulated.
This can be remedied through a number of ways:
Don't play with your dog for a couple of hours before bed.
Don't leave toys around your dog's sleeping area.
Turn off your TV or any music before bedtime. -
Step 3: Respond to a dog's frequent urination.
-
Step 4: Spend more time exercising your dog.
-
Step 5: Alter your dog's feeding schedule.
-
Step 6: Reduce your dog's stimulation.
Detailed Guide
If your dog is waking you up more than it used to, a medical problem could be affecting its sleep or stress levels.
Visiting a vet is an excellent first step so you can rule out this possibility, or catch problems early.
Even if your pet is not sick, a vet can help you pinpoint the cause.Any significant change in behavior or sleep schedule could be a sign of a medical problem.
Difficulty eating or eliminating could point to gastric distress that keeps your dog awake.If the dog wakes you up to beg for food in the night, it may be experiencing increased hunger due to diabetes or another metabolic disorder.
A regular, predictable sleep pattern makes it easier for your dog to adapt.
Do your best to go to sleep at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning.
While doggy sleep patterns are different than that of humans – they sleep up to twenty hours a day and sleep for shorter amounts of time – your dog will get used to your sleep schedule over time., If your dog wakes you up in the night to go outside, they may have a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection or Cushing's disorder.
A vet can diagnose your pet and prescribe medication to treat this problem.If your vet rules these out, your dog may have a weak bladder due to old age.
You can make you and your dog more comfortable by providing a pee pad.
A dog door is another solution if you have an enclosed yard and are not concerned about dangerous wildlife. , A great way to reduce the likelihood that your dog will wake you up is to tire them out before you go to sleep.
You can do this by increasing the amount of time you and your dog exercise together.
In the end, a sleeping dog won't be able to wake you up.
Go on a walk around the block with your dog.
Play Frisbee or fetch with your dog.
Allow your dog to run around your back yard or in a dog park., You can also decrease the chance of your dog waking you up by changing your dog's food schedule.
Ultimately, your dog might be waking you up because they're hungry or are still active because they ate really late.
If you think your dog is waking you because they're hungry, push back dinner time an hour or two.
This way, your pup's belly will be fuller for a longer time.
If you think your dog is waking you because they're hyper from the last meal, move dinner up a little bit.
Feeding your dog at 6PM might work more than feeding them at 8PM., Another reason your dog might be waking you is because they're still awake, energetic, or are just overstimulated.
This can be remedied through a number of ways:
Don't play with your dog for a couple of hours before bed.
Don't leave toys around your dog's sleeping area.
Turn off your TV or any music before bedtime.
About the Author
Lori Garcia
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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