One of the biggest struggles that new or previous puppy owners face is trying to get their puppy to sleep through the night.
There are many reasons why puppies struggle with sleeping through the night, some of the most common include stress, anxiety, fear, or simply that they need to go to the bathroom.
If you are curious to find out more about why your puppy may not be sleeping through the night, and why they may be having anxiety about it, keep reading to learn more!
Why Doesn’t My Puppy Sleep Through the Night?
When it comes to puppies, a lot of owners become confused about their pups’ sleeping habits.
At first, puppies usually don’t sleep through the night because they are not used to being in a new environment; however, there are many other reasons that a puppy will not sleep through the night.
A puppy that is brought directly from its mother/litter and into a new environment will oftentimes experience stress and anxiety from being separated from its family.
Just like a human baby, it takes time and training to get a puppy to sleep through the night. You might be surprised how similar puppies are to human babies.
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Puppies, like babies, can have a lot of trouble sleeping through the night. Thankfully, with good routines and habits, a puppy will eventually sleep through the night just like a baby will!
Don’t get discouraged if your puppy doesn’t sleep through the night for quite a while, it usually takes at least 16 weeks for a puppy to begin sleeping through the entire night.
Here is the typical sleep schedule for puppies based on their age:
Age | Hours of Sleep (Including both night & day) |
3 Months | 16–20 Hours |
4–5 Months | 17–18 Hours |
6 Months | 14–18 Hours |
For more information about puppy sleeping patterns, sleep regression + solutions, and causes, check out this article: Puppy Sleep Regression (Month by Month Guide)
When Do Puppies Stop Crying at Night?
One of the most common complaints about puppies from new owners is that their puppy won’t stop crying throughout the night; this is usually called, “night crying.”
Puppies will usually cry throughout the night when they are young because they are fearful/anxious mostly caused by being in a new environment, they are looking for attention, they are hungry, or they really need to go to the bathroom.
The best way to stop your puppy from crying at night is to first try and figure out why they are crying; then, take the necessary steps to stop the behavior, for example:
- Try taking them outside — If they are crying because they need to pee, taking them outside will probably stop their crying immediately after they are able to go to the bathroom and then come back inside.
- Try petting them — If they are anxious, petting them and letting them know they are in a safe space is the best way to make them feel comfortable enough to sleep.
- Try feeding them a good serving of food several hours before bed — Doing this will fill them up, but not cause them to have to use the bathroom multiple times throughout the night if given to them too late.
- Make a safe space for them — Make a designated spot for them to sleep that is warm and comfortable, this will help them relax and hopefully go to sleep without crying.
- Try crate training — Oftentimes putting your puppy in a crate to sleep is the best way for them to relax and feel comfortable enough to sleep. (Crate training is one of the best options/methods of training for pups that cry at night!)
TIP: Don’t overuse the crate, or use it for punishment, crates should be associated with a safe place for the puppy; they should feel comfortable enough to sleep in the crate and go into it without being scared.
When Do Puppies Sleep Through the Night Without Peeing?
One problem that many puppy owners face is that their puppy either pees in its sleep, wakes up constantly throughout the night and pees without the owner knowing, or whines/cries until their owner takes them outside to pee.
Thankfully, by the time a puppy is 6–7 months old, it will be able to sleep a fairly long time without peeing; they can usually go between 4–5 hours without having to have a potty break.
A lot of times a puppy’s breed will determine when they begin sleeping through the night without needing to pee.
Small breeds have way smaller bladders than large breeds, this means they will need to go to the bathroom more often than larger breeds.
NOTE: Tiny breed puppies will typically be able to sleep 3–4 hours before needing to pee.
Potty training your puppy is the best way to ensure that they don’t have to pee multiple times throughout the night, this also eliminates the risk of them peeing inside.
Is it Okay to Let My Puppy Sleep Through the Night?
Oftentimes human parents worry that their babies are sleeping too much or too little, they wonder if they should wake them up, or try to make them go back to sleep; the same goes for puppies!
Puppies typically need at least 6–10 hours of sleep per night; however, they are known to sleep throughout the day quite often as well.
Sleep is very important for puppies, so if your puppy is sleeping through the night or napping during the day with no problem, let them! Including both night and day, a puppy can sleep a total of 18–20 hours!
While sleeping more than usual is okay, it is also important to pay attention if your puppy is sleeping way too much, there comes a point where they may be sleeping way longer than they should.
If you are concerned that your puppy is sleeping too much, visit the vet to see if there is another issue going on; oftentimes puppies who are depressed or have underlying health issues will oversleep.
Just like humans, puppies can also get tired after eating a lot; however, if you notice that your dog is sleeping for a very long time after each time they eat, try checking the ingredients within their food to make sure something isn’t affecting them.
On the other hand, you may notice that if your puppy is not sleeping as much as they should, they will oftentimes get a term that many dog owners have heard of called “the zoomies,” this is usually because they are way too tired and are becoming delirious, so they end up being more hyper than sleepy.
It is very important to know that certain breeds will sleep more often than others, remember this if you become concerned about how much your puppy is sleeping.
Here are some breeds that, even as adults, are known for sleeping way longer than other breeds:
- Miniature Pinscher
- Pug
- Cocker Spaniel
- Bulldog
- Pekingese
- Shih Tzu
- Chow Chow
- Basset Hound
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Great Dane
- Mastiff
Why Does My Puppy Stay Awake All Night?
A lot of puppy owners state that they are exhausted because their puppies stay awake all night and they have no idea why.
Thankfully, there are many tricks to wearing your puppy out enough so that it will sleep, even if just for a little while!
It is likely that if your puppy is staying awake all night, they are simply full of energy; this is why wearing them out before bed always helps!
A lot of times puppies that are needing to use the bathroom will also stay awake all night, pace around, or even whine. If you notice any of these behaviors, take them outside and then see if they fall asleep.
NOTE: It is very important to take a puppy outside right before bed, this will not only help avoid them peeing inside but will also get them on a schedule that they will stick with.
Some puppy owners have said that their puppy will go to sleep and sleep very well, but they will wake up multiple times throughout the night.
There are several reasons that this can be happening; however, it is very likely that your puppy either needs to pee or is experiencing pain.
If your puppy is not sleeping because of pain, this is likely because they are teething. Try giving your puppy a chew toy that is made for teething puppies, this will likely help them eliminate any pain they are having.
Giving them a chew toy will not only help their teething pain but may also provide them a distraction for while that will eventually make them tired enough to go to sleep!
If you are interested in learning more about how to get a teething puppy to sleep through the night check out THIS article!
If you notice your puppy needing to use the bathroom an abnormal number of times throughout the night (every hour or so), it is likely that they are having trouble holding their bladder.
This is a very common sign of an underlying health condition; it is best to get them to the vet right away to determine why they are needing to pee so many times within such a small span of time.
Health conditions are known to affect the kidneys, which will make a puppy need to pee multiple times throughout the day and night; here are some of the most common health issues that cause this:
- Diabetes
- Kidney Disease
- Liver Disease
- Infections (Urinary Tract Infections/Bacterial Infections)
Tips for Getting My Puppy to Sleep at Night
Many puppy owners go in search of tips and tricks that will help their puppy sleep through the night. Thankfully, some tricks are known to help a ton!
Some of the most beneficial tricks that will help your puppy sleep through the night include taking them for a walk before bed/going outside to pee, being strict about where they sleep each night, and having a routine.
Simply wearing your puppy out is the best way to get them to sleep through the night. You could go on a walk, play with toys/fetch, etc.
It is very important to keep a consistent sleeping location for your puppy. A lot of puppy owners suggest NOT letting the puppy sleep in the bed with you.
They may pee or chew on things when in the bed with you, or they may begin having separation anxiety when you are away from them/remove them from the bed.
Because it is so important to have a consistent sleeping spot for your puppy, crate training can be a great idea/solution to making your puppy more comfortable.
Moving their sleeping location around can cause them anxiety and stress that will make them not sleep as well or will cause them to stay awake.
A lot of puppy owners suggest keeping a bed for their puppy next to their own, this way they aren’t actually in the bed with you, but they are still close enough to where they feel safe and will relax enough to sleep.
TIP: If your puppy is having separation anxiety (either when you are away, or only when they aren’t sleeping in your bed), try giving them a piece of your clothing; oftentimes an owner’s scent will make a puppy feel calm and relaxed enough to go to sleep.
Keeping a schedule is also one of the most important parts of getting a puppy to sleep through the night.
If you have ever owned a puppy, you have probably realized that they enjoy having and keeping a schedule. Some puppies become so used to a schedule that they may know when it is time to go outside, when it’s time to eat, or they may even be aware of the exact time their owner is coming home.
This is because a routine was established early on in their life. Making a sleep routine for a puppy is the best way to ensure that they will begin sleeping on a regular schedule from the start.
You will notice these habits and routines will follow them throughout their life and you might even notice that even as an adult, your dog will still like and follow the schedule that was put into place when they were a puppy.
Read these next: (All about Puppy and Dog sleeping habits!)
How to Help a Teething Puppy Sleep at Night
Labrador Retriever Sleep Guide (When Will my Puppy Sleep Through the Night?)
