Dogs – Interesting Sleep Facts

Dogs are great companions and are a delight to have around. They are generally quite hyperactive and if given the chance, they will turn the complete house upside down in no time. If you bring home a puppy or a dog then you will realize that they sleep way more than you might have thought they did.

Why do dogs sleep so much? What’s the deal with their sleeping pattern? How can they be so energetic with just short naps? The other question that just a few people might have thought about is whether dogs dream during their sleep.

If you have had any of these questions in your mind then you have come to the right place.

We will provide you all the answers to these questions about the slumber time of our beloved dogs in this article below so keep reading on.

Difference Between Human and Dogs Sleeping Pattern

Humans have a fixed sleeping pattern of staying awake for 15 to 17 hours and sleeping for 7 to 9 hours. On the other hand, dogs have a similar pattern but they do so in short spurts by sleeping for 16 minutes following which they will be awake for 5 minutes. Unlike humans, dogs are able to quickly wake from their REM sleep with just the faintest of sounds or movement. This is a trait that has been instilled in them through centuries of evolution to stay alert in the wild and alert their pack about any potential dangers nearby. This is a desirable trait that humans have used for ages to get alerted of any unwanted intruders.

When dogs go to sleep they can easily wake in between. This means that they need relatively more sleep in greater frequencies than humans as they are always being disturbed from their short naps.

Phases of Canine Sleep

When dogs start drifting off to sleep, they experience NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep. The muscle activity of dogs generally starts to slow down during the first phase of NREM. This is the stage in which a tired dog is transitioning to sleep. During the second phase, the dog is completely calm but its brain is fully active.

Slow wave sleep (SWS) is the third phase of the dog sleep cycle. During this phase, your dog is in a deep slumber. During the SWS phase, the dog’s heart rate and breathing rate reduces considerably along with a steep fall blood pressure. This phase generally lasts for 10 to 15 minutes after which it enters into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. As the name suggests, during this phase the dog will roll its eyes under its closed eyelids.

Now to answer the question if dogs dream when they are asleep, yes they do. This can be observed in the REM sleep phase when dogs make noises and make slight movements.

To facilitate proper sleep cycle for dogs, dog wash must be scheduled frequently either at home or at an automatic pet wash machine. These dog wash machines can be found in most major cities and make this an easy process.

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