When dogs start twitching in their sleep, dreams and nightmares are usually responsible. Under certain circumstances, these twitches can also be due to epilepsy and other neurological diseases. This is an emergency.
However, in 9 out of 10 cases it is nothing to worry about as dreams are hidden behind the movements. And dreams are generally a sign of good health.
During such twitches it is important to pay attention to the rest of the body. Because an attack usually leads to other pathological symptoms. [1]
Then let’s take a closer look at the 3 most common causes.
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#1 Dreams
Sleep researchers have already shown in studies that dogs have the same sleep phases as humans. Their brains are also structured very similarly to ours.
And yet dogs dream comparatively much more often than we humans. This is primarily because their sleep time is longer and their sleep cycles are shorter.
While a human sleep cycle lasts around 90 minutes, a dog's sleep cycle lasts just 20 minutes. They also sleep significantly longer:
- 50% bedtime (~12 hours)
- 30% Awake but resting (~7 hours)
- 20% Awake and active (~5 hours) [2]
Since dogs experience the REM phase much more often, twitching during sleep is comparatively more common. It occurs even more often in young and old dogs.
During sleep, the brain sends a signal that relaxes the muscles. This is to prevent the dog from actually chasing the cat in his dream.
In young and old dogs, this mechanism probably no longer works or no longer works completely. In addition, larger breeds have fewer but longer dreams. [3]
For dogs, dreams primarily serve to process experienced situations and at the same time satisfy unfulfilled longings. Typical symptoms here are:
- Soft barking in sleep
- Moving eyelids
- Muscle twitching in the legs
- Quiet whining and whining
- Sudden growling in sleep [4]
The daily sleep duration can also vary greatly depending on age and race. Large breeds of young and older age need the most sleep. [5]
Incidentally, the twitches during sleep do not have to indicate a nightmare. Because researchers have found that they primarily dream about race-specific behavior:
- Sniffer dogs: dreaming of detecting and following a trail
- Greyhounds: dreaming of chases in full sprint
- Pointer: Dreaming about pointing to wild animals and potential prey
- Protection Dogs: Dreaming of protecting their territory and their family
- German Shepherd: Dreaming of guarding and herding their flock [6]
You can sometimes recognize nightmares because your dog wakes up more often than average or constantly changes sleeping places during the night.
Waking up is unnecessary here – on the contrary! It's even harmful. It's not for nothing that the saying goes: “You shouldn't wake sleeping dogs.”
Because when dogs are suddenly torn from a dream, they are often so confused that they snap out of panic or run into a wall. [7]
In dogs, twitching during sleep is one of the typical symptoms of a dream. This doesn't have to be a nightmare. Rather, dogs dream about experiences and breed-specific behavior. There is no reason to worry here.
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#2 Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the nerves, which causes epileptic seizures – so-called “seizures” – to occur at regular intervals.
According to statistics, around 1% of all dogs suffer from it. It tends to occur most frequently in very young dogs and male dogs. [8]
Under certain circumstances, the twitches during sleep can also be an epileptic seizure. You can distinguish it by the following symptoms:
- Eyes mostly open with a fixed gaze
- Tense and stiff posture
- Dog is unresponsive during this time
- Entire body twitches, not just the legs
- Stronger and uncontrolled movements
- Dog suddenly goes into the basket [9]
As scary as these seizures may look, they are usually painless and harmless. And no, dogs don't swallow their tongues.
However, if the attack lasts for an unusually long time, it can cause permanent damage or even be life-threatening. But that is relatively rare. [10]
If epilepsy is actually responsible for the twitches during sleep, you can often tell by the behavior afterwards. What is typical here is:
- Heavy drooling and panting
- Dog is awake
- Severe confusion
- Foam in the mouth
- Disoriented behavior [11]
However, open eyes alone are not a clear indication. There are also some breeds such as bulldogs and pugs that naturally sleep with their eyes open.
During such an attack, you should make sure that your dog is lying safely and cannot injure himself. I would then advise you to see the vet immediately.
In rare cases, epilepsy can also be behind the twitches during sleep. During such an attack, the entire body usually twitches and the eyes are wide open. The dog is usually unresponsive and then behaves in an exceptionally confused manner.
#3 Neurological diseases
Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs. Since they are triggered in the dog's brain, a variety of other diseases can also be behind them:
- stroke
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Kidney disease
- Tick bite
- Anemia
- Head injuries
- Injuries to the spine
- Brain tumor
- Liver diseases
- Narcolepsy
- reaction to medication
- Poisonings [12]
Important here: Almost all of these injuries and illnesses are accompanied by other pathological symptoms. If you suspect this, I recommend consulting your veterinarian.
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