Puppy sleep cycles are much like that of a newborn sleeping in short naps throughout the 24-hour cycle. However, around six to eight weeks your puppy may start sleeping in longer stretches throughout the night. The thing is that your puppy will need comfort, praise, and a little routine to help them not only sleep through the night but sleep soundly enough to not keep you awake. Here are three ways to help your new puppy sleep through the night.

Guest post by Krista Harper

Introduce a white noise machine

There are a lot of noise distractions at night. From neighbors talking loudly and insects chirping to far-off emergency vehicle sirens. You can bet that your new puppy and their seemingly supersonic hearing (unless you are calling them of course) will hear and respond to everything. While this helps your puppy turn into a good guard dog in the future, their ability to hear also keeps them up at night. A white noise machine will provide a blended sound by producing all the frequencies at the same soothing tone. This aids in reducing background noise as well as your puppy’s anxiety over what is making the noise.

Let your puppy sleep with you through the night

Research has shown that when you sleep with your pet you are more prone to have a better night of sleep. Cuddling up with your pet at night provides warmth, comfort, and the security your puppy needs to relax and feel safe. People and puppies are both social creatures and inherently require a degree of affection which is often displayed when touched. So, cuddling with your puppy at night and stroking her fur is a great way to calm her into sleep which should last all night.

If you have a puppy that moves around a lot or wags their tail in your face you may need to move your puppy once they are asleep, but typically your puppy will be in a deep enough sleep that moving them won’t wake them.

Go outside before bedtime

Going outside before bedtime helps in two ways. First, playing outside for at least thirty minutes will allow your puppy enough time to go potty before bedtime. This is important because as a puppy your pet is still trying to learn where to go potty. This often results in accidents strewn about the home and potentially in your bed. Relieving their self at night helps your puppy sleep without potty disruptions. Secondly, while your puppy has a ton of energy, it may not last long before they need to replenish their energy stores. Exercise before bed is a great way to exhaust your puppy which will naturally help them to sleep better and deeper.

There are a lot of reasons why a puppy may not sleep through the night. Much of this can be related to natural sleep cycles that create their wake-sleep routine. However, as your puppy ages they will begin to sleep longer and deeper through the night unless there are stimulants such as stress and anxiety, potty breaks, and noise. Trying to reduce these stimulants will help your pet relax during bedtime and be comfortable and secure enough to sleep until morning.

For the opposite end of the spectrum: Do you have an older pet to care for? See our guest blog post here about senior pet care!