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How Much Do Papillons Sleep? (Inside Info From Owners)

There’s nothing more precious than a fluffy sleeping Papillon. Curled up in a ball resting so peacefully it can seem as if they are the perfect little pet. But if you are a new Papillon owner, or are wondering if your Papillon sleeps more than most you are in the right place. I talked to owners and vets to find out just how much sleep your Papillon needs.

Adult Papillons will sleep on average 12-16 hours a day. Papillon Puppies will sleep 18-20 hours a day in a 24hr period. Papillons tend to develop sleep habits similar to their owners. While it’s normal for your Papillon to sleep a lot, if your dog’s sleep habits have suddenly changed it may be a cause for concern.

If you are fit and active your Papillon will be also if you are relaxed and laid back chances are your Papillon will be similar to you. But how do you know if your Papillon is getting too little or too much of those precious zzzzzz’s? Continue reading to find out.

How Much Sleep Do Papillon’s Need? Puppies, Adults, Seniors

Papillon Newborns

This stage of life is very short and full of lots of shut-eye! For the first week of their life, Papillon newborns will be sleeping anytime they aren’t nursing. Newborns generally nurse every 2 hours but even while doing so they will have their eyes shut and look as though they are eating in their sleep.

As they grow they will slowly start to spend more time awake. Around 3 weeks old they will have around 2-4 hours of active time a day broken up into small spurts of energy and exploring their world.

Papillon Puppies

Puppies are quickly growing and changing. They need plenty of sleep to fuel and recharge their growing bodies. From 2-5 months old, Papillon puppies will generally sleep around 18-20 hours in a 24-hour period. This includes sleeping at night and daytime naps.

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Your puppy will sleep in longer stretches at night, but will still need to get up to relieve its small bladder and stretch. He may even have a burst of energy and seem like he wants to play. With some patience and guidance, your puppy can learn to sleep through the night by 4 months old, maybe even sooner.

Older puppies from around 6-12 months old will sleep about 14-16 hours throughout a 24 hour period. At this point, they should be more active and inquisitive during the day and will be better about sleeping through the night in 6-9 hour stretches. They will also take multiple naps during the day, as well as times of rest when they appear to be just lying around, but somewhat alert as well as high energy awake time when they will want to play and work.

Fun Fact: Research shows smaller dogs actually have more frequent but shorter dreams than large breed dogs. Smaller dogs have new dreams about every 10 minutes that only last a few minutes long as opposed to large dogs that have a new dream every 60-90 minutes that last around 10 minutes long.

Papillon Adults

Your adult Papillon will normally sleep around 12-16 hours in a 24hr period, but more as he ages. In this study, researchers found that older and middle-aged dogs slept more during the day than young adult dogs.

This was because they took more naps, not because their naps were longer. They tend to run out of energy and need to rest more often than the younger group. Older and middle-aged dogs also slept more at night than younger dogs because they had longer stretches of sleep at night (waking up later) and woke up fewer times during the night.

Chess Dog 300 x 600

It’s important to remember that this can greatly differ depending on the personality and temperament of each dog as well as the atmosphere/lifestyle of your home. When I asked Papillon owners what their Papillon behavior was like they covered all the ranges of this 12-16 hr span. A big factor was how active and attentive the owners were.

Because papillons were originally bred to be companion dogs to noblemen and women they have a long-standing tradition of going with the flow of whatever schedule their owner decides. If you like to chill and rest all day then most likes so will your Papillon. If your lifestyle is active then they will be too.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that we can have an extremely full day, going in and out of the house, having extra family members in, without hardly any napping, but then the next day my pap is napping all day.” 

Kathy E.

Senior Papillon

Your Papillon is considered a senior around 9-10 years old and at this time you will probably start to see your dog slowly increasing the amount of time it is resting and sleeping. It won’t happen all at once, but just like humans as they age they tend to slow down and not have quite as much energy as a young pup. Senior Papillon will sleep 14-16 hrs a day on average, as they get to be 12-15 years old and older, they could be sleeping up to 18 hrs a day.

At an older age, your Papillon’s sleep patterns may change as well. It’s normal for your Papillon to take more naps during the day and have a few wakeful periods at night. This change will probably happen slowly and should be nothing to worry about unless it’s a sudden or significant change.

If your Papillon has sudden or significant changes in their patterns of sleep it’s probably best to consult your vet. For older Papillon’s this could be signs of more serious issues such as dementia, arthritis, hypothyroidism, or other conditions associated with older age.

Your Papillon may be waking up more at night because it’s bladder is getting older and they need to use the potty more often. You can try and help with this by taking them out right before bed, and limiting their water intake just before bed as well.

Fun Fact: Senior dogs, as well as puppies, tend to twitch more in their sleep! This is due to a part of their brain called the Pons which regulates muscles and keeps them still while they sleep. This part of a puppy’s brain is underdeveloped and for older dogs, it works less efficiently.

Sleep Problems and Solutions for Papillon Puppies and Adults

If you are struggling with getting your Papillon to settle down and sleep at night you are not alone. Whether it’s the new puppy days, or you just moved, most owners go through this stage at some point.

Things that may be making this challenging can range from crying or whining at night, waking up in the middle of the night, struggling to settle down, or waking up too early in the morning.

Luckily there are some things that you can do to help your Papillon (as well as yourself) get the good night’s sleep you need.

Have a routine and schedule:

If your Papillon knows what to expect and has specific cues to alert him that it’s time to wind down and get some shut-eye it can do a lot to help them easily get settled at night. This routine can include using the restroom, bringing the noise level down, dimming the light, creating a relaxing and calm atmosphere.

It’s important to keep this schedule as consistent as possible. Going to bed around the same time each night, and having set patterns will not only signal to your dog’s brain it’s time for bed, which will in turn help to increase the production of melatonin (your bodies powerful natural sleep aid) it can also help you fall asleep more easily as well.

Give them plenty of exercise:

Papillons don’t need a lot of exercise, but it could help them if they are having a hard time sleeping at night. Papillons should get about 30 minutes of exercise a day, but may enjoy even more play sessions than that.

If they have been bored and laying around all day chances for a good night’s rest are minimal. The best time for a good exercise session is about 2 hours before bedtime. Try to include high cardio exercise as well and engaging brain activities so that your Papillon will be both physically tired as well as mentally tired.

Have a specific sleeping area and make it inviting:

Whether it’s in their crate in the living room, their doggy bed (Amazon affiliate link to a comfy warming bed) next to your bed on the floor, or even in your own bed. Having a designated area to go to will help create the routine and let your dog know that it’s sleep time. If your dog sleeps in his own bed, or in a crate, having something that smells like you and a small stuffed animal to snuggle with can help him feel more safe and secure. This is especially true for puppies.

Try changing meal times or limiting food and water:

Take up their water after a certain time of the evening. If your Papillon seems to need a bathroom break in the middle of the night all the time you can try changing his meal time to be a few hours earlier (so he will get the poop out before bed) or a few hours later (so he can hold it until tomorrow). You can also take up the water dish a few hours before bed so that he isn’t filling up his bladder just before dozing off.

Either way you may want to slowly adjust the time of his meals to see if that will help with the late night bathroom breaks.

If early morning waking is a problem try figuring out what it is that may be waking them up?

Is the sun coming up? Try adding some darkening curtains. Are there noises such as birds or early morning traffic?

Try adding some white noise by using a noise machine like this one from Amazon(Amazon affiliate link).

All it takes is some investigative work to try and figure out what may be causing the problem. It can be easier to do this if you keep a log or journal of your dog’s sleeping and eating patterns. This doesn’t have to be something that you do long term, but just long enough for you to notice a pattern so you can address it.

If nothing seems to be working, your dog has changed his sleep patterns suddenly, he seems very lethargic and low on energy all the time, or he has other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his stool, or other concerns then you should take him to the vet immediately to get checked out.

If you have a puppy and all its needs are met and it is still crying just remember it is common for it to whine and cry especially for the first week or so that you have him in your home. You can try a soothing stuffy like this one from Amazon (affiliate link). An older dog who is new to your home may experience this as well. If you must check on him make sure that the lights stay dim, and you are as un-intrusive as you can be. If you are working with your puppy to sleep in their own bed or crate, make sure to not give in and then expect smooth sailing after that. You need to start the expectations as you mean to go forward.

If you are thinking of having your dog sleep in bed with you, here are some things to consider.

Should I Let My Papillon Sleep With Me?

There are a lot of great benefits you could get by letting your Papillon sleep with you. Here are some listed below.

  • Eases stress and anxiety
  • Extra warmth
  • Greater security
  • Morning cuddles and love
  • Decreases loneliness
  • Releases Oxytocin
  • Helps you bond with your dog
  • Makes your dog feel more secure

Dogs and humans have been sleeping together in some cultures for thousands of years, and for good reasons, just being close to your Papillon helps to increase your levels of Oxytocin (link to PubMed article) a powerful hormone that will help you unwind, destress, lower your heart rate and feel more relaxed. This is a perfect recipe for a great night’s sleep.

Research shows that dog owners who share special bonds with their dogs benefit greatly from mental health benefits such as lower blood pressure, decreased stress, less anxiety and depression, and overall better health.

You get a similar release of love hormone when you cuddle your Papillon. Read more about how cuddly Papillons are by clicking here.

There are also some reasons that you may not want your Papillon to sleep in your bed with you including the following:

  • Sleep quality could be affected
  • Could make allergies worse
  • Possible transmission of disease
  • Possibility of more separation anxiety
  • Could make resource guarding worse
  • Could make intimacy with your partner more challenging

Dog and Human sleep cycles can actually differ quite a bit. If you or your dog is a fitful light sleeper it could be difficult to get enough deep sleep if your dog is waking you up constantly. If you and your pooch are constantly battling it out then you will probably be better off with them in their own bed.

Even though everyone has their own opinion about why or why not their little Papillon should sleep in bed with them ultimately you get to decide what’s best for you and your furry friend.

Check out these other articles all about your Papillon

Why Your Papillon Constantly Licks? | Paws and Learn

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