How Much Sleep Do Poodles Need? Find Out Here!
For you to give your lovely Poodle the most wonderful life, you have to first understand their basic needs. I mean, you have to know how much food, exercise, grooming, and of course, sleep your dog needs.
While we talked about What Poodles can (And Can’t) eat, our today’s article focuses on how much sleep they need. Wondering how long your Poodle should be sleeping? Are you worried that your Poodle is oversleeping or not getting enough sleep? In this article, we will be studying how much and where Poodles should sleep.
Poodles need a lot of sleep, so it is important to provide them with comfortable sleeping places. While some poodle puppies may require up to 20 hours of sleep per day, adolescent and adult dogs will only take around 12 hours in one go.
Two Types Of Sleep;
Let us first understand that there are basically two types of sleep that any creature can have. They include;
- Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM)
- Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
Non-Rapid Eye Movement
Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM), is a scientific term that describes a normal sleep stage that has no dreams, or at least none remembered. It is the sleep your dog gets into when his or her eyes are closed and it is also the sleep that you would see your pooch in throughout the day.
This type of sleep consists of three different stages:
Stage 1/N1;
It involves light sleep. This is the first NREM sleep stage. It usually happens for about 1-5 minutes of sleep.
Stage 2/N2;
Still a light type of sleep, at this second stage, your Poodle starts to fall deeper into sleep. This stage is sometimes referred to as somnolence or drowsy sleep. This stage can last anywhere between 10-60 minutes.
Stage 3/N3;
It’s the last stage of NREM and is also referred to as slow-wave sleep (SWS). It’s needed for restorative purposes like tissue repair and growth hormones release. While your dog is in the SWS stage of sleep, his brain waves will be slow and undulating. During this stage mental processes are quiet but muscle tone remains active so he can easily wake up if needed. It can keep going for 20-40 minutes.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
The REM stage is next after Stage3/N3 of the NREM.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) occurs when a dog dreams. In this stage, two major things happen; brain activity picks up and atonia takes place, which is the temporary muscle paralysis (in exception of the muscles controlling eyes and breathing).
The REM stage is also associated with emotional reactions, memory consolidation, and brain development. Under this deepest stage of sleep, a dog is at its least alert and most vulnerable.
How Much Sleep Should Your Poodle Get?
Now that we know about the two types of sleep as well as the stages, we can now work on how much sleeping your Poodle should be doing.
And as aforementioned, dogs have varying sleep needs depending on their age. In other words, you shouldn’t expect a Puppy to do fine with the sleep requirement an adult Poodle has.
But if you’re wondering how much your dog should be sleeping, here’s a general guideline;
Puppies:
Puppies typically need 15-20 hours of sleep per day. The little beings need more sleep than the rest because they are still growing. However, as the rate of growth slows down, their sleeping hours will also decrease.
Adolescent and Adult Poodles:
Poodles in this category will need 11-14 hours of sleep per day. While this is the average amount, you may notice that your adult Poodle is sleeping less than 11 hours or more than 14. Well, this isn’t a problem as long as it’s not too much or too little. Just make sure he gets around his need; 12 hours is just fine.
Senior Poodles:
Older Poodles tend to sleep more than the average. This is because as dogs get old their metabolism slows down and the need for sleep increases to compensate for this phenomenon. Senior Poodles tend to sleep just as much as puppy Poodles.
Why Your Poodle Is Sleeping More
It’s normal for every loving Poodle parent to worry about their pooch sleeping too much. So if you feel like your Poodle is sleeping more than he should, check out these factors that can contribute to this sleep pattern;
Stress
It’s normal for dogs (and humans) to have an increase in sleeping hours when stressed out. In fact it is one of the ways our body copes with stress.
Boredom
If your Poodle is left alone a lot or if you don’t engage him in physical and mental stimulation, he will sleep more. This is because his mind would rather be elsewhere than where it is right now, which happens to be his dog house.
Age:
The older your pooch gets, the more sleep he’ll need. As I mentioned earlier in this article, our canine companions tend to sleep more as they age for the reason of slowing down metabolism and growth.
Illness:
In case your Poodle is ill or has some diseases that put a toll on his body, rest assured it’s normal for him to sleep more than usual.
Why Your Poodle Is Sleeping Less
Your plush pal may be sleeping less than he should. But before you panic, here are scenarios where this sleep pattern can be normal;
Physical Exertion
Active dogs tend to sleep less because they’re always doing. Of course, there will be times when your dog suddenly sleeps more hours than usual. That’s because he just burned a lot of energy and is recovering from it.
Restless Nights
Your Poodle could be sleeping less if he isn’t getting quality sleep. The elusive creature can only rest well when he knows his humans are safe, so make sure to keep him company in the dog house.
Short-Term Conditions
Dogs sleep less when they are sick or have some disease that affects their sleeping pattern. In case your Poodle is not sleeping as he used to, this could be the reason why.
Where Should Your Poodle Sleep?
We already know how much Poodles ought to sleep and the sleep cycles, next are to find out where your Poodle should be sleeping.
Like humans, dogs need a conducive environment for them to get quality shut-eye and as such, the place your dog sleeps in can have a huge impact on how much he sleeps.
You can purchase your dog a decent bed from a local pet store, Amazon, Walmart, etc. When acquiring one, ensure that you consider factors like;
Size of the bed
Larger Poodles definitely need bigger beds. Therefore, ensure that the bed you buy for your Standard Poodle is larger than you would for any of the smaller Poodle types.
Comfortability:
The bed must be comfortable, especially if your Poodle prefers sleeping on his back or stomach. You know how much pressure dogs apply to their beds when sleeping; getting one that is too hard will definitely make your doggy suffer.
Hygiene:
Make sure the bed is easy to clean and maintain for hygienic purposes. Remember that hygiene is just as important in dogs as in humans. Choose material that’s easy for you to maintain clean.
Build quality:
If you are going to buy a bed, make sure it’s good quality. This is because build quality has a lot to do with how long the bed will last and more importantly, if your Poodle won’t be able to mess around with it.
The bed’s position:
The place where you position the dog bed in your home may also help define the type of bed to choose. Make sure the shape and design of the bed work well for the space where you intend to position it.
Is It Okay To Share A Bed With Your Poodle?
One thing you may ask yourself, especially as a new Poodle parent is whether or not it’s okay to share a bed with your Poodle. Fortunately, the answer is yes; sharing your human bed with your dog is just fine as long as you don’t mind it.
Some studies show that it’s more beneficial to let your dog sleep with you in the same bed, especially if he has a medical problem or is sick. Sharing the same bed with your Poodle will help reduce anxiety and strengthen the bond between the two of you.
On the other hand, some studies show dogs who sleep on their own beds are less likely to have problems, which is why some Poodle parents prefer not sharing a bed with their furball. When it comes to this, and like all other aspects of dog parent-hood; only you can decide what’s best for your Poodle.
Final Verdict:
In a nutshell, how much your dog sleeps depends on a lot of factors, like age, health, physical activity and build. Younger and senior Poodles typically sleep less than adult and adolescent Poodles.
It’s normal for your dog to sleep more than less than the average number of hours they are supposed to sleep, but also be keen to signs that he’s sleeping too little or too much as it could be as a result of a condition or illness.
