If everyone in the house wants to sleep, but the dog has other plans, it's more than a test of patience: with one Four-legged friend who prefers to wander around the apartment at night than sleeping, there is usually something wrong.
But why is that? The causes of such behavior range from harmless reasons to serious illnesses.
You can find it in the following article the 9 most common reasons for dogs walking at night. I also have it for you 6 proven solutions, which often help, put together.
The 9 most common reasons why dogs wander at night
1. Fear & stress
Many four-legged friends are constantly stressed. This can have various reasons, such as too much hustle and bustle in the house, changes in lifestyle or other pets that the dog doesn't get along with.
Very closely related to it anxiety disorders, which are mostly caused by trauma. According to a large-scale study with thousands of animal participants, these particularly affect noise sensitivity, general fear and separation anxiety.
Like us humans, dogs can't really switch off when something is on their mind. The problems then literally rob them of their sleep – they often wander back and forth at night without being able to rest.
2. heat or Female dog in heat in the area
In some cases it is reproductive instinct, who lets dogs wander around at night: One dog in heatn is also dominated by her hormones during her fertile period. If she smells a male during the “heat,” she will try to get to him.
At night the dog lady will hardly sleep an eye. Instead, she will primarily scratch at the door to get outside. You have to pay close attention during the heat.
The same applies of course also for male dogs: If they have picked up the scent of a female dog in heat, they will also try to escape at night – sleep is then secondary.
3. dementia
Attention: If your dog is older and suddenly wanders around the apartment like crazy at night, it could also be one dementia act. Four-legged friends are also affected by declining brain functions, and veterinarians also speak of this “Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome”, short CDS.
CDS is one insidious, incurable illness, which unfortunately has hardly been researched yet. The symptoms are similar to human Alzheimer's disease. Affected dogs recognize their surroundings less and less, which is why they are generally restless and nervous.
Also that one Daily rhythm is affected, the animals sleep soundly during the day and then wander around at night.
More signs of CDS
- Nervous/excited behavior
- Dog barks for no reason
- Urinating or doing “business” in the apartment
- Strong appetite & begging for food
- Depressive behavior or apathy.
Source: VetSpezial Center for Small Medicine, Lehrte.
Also that one Daily rhythm is affected, the animals sleep soundly during the day and then wander around at night.
More about CDS in dogs. Source: EDD Channel / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWxIQvKGOY .
4. Excess of energy
But it could also be that the dog just relaxes during the day not spent enough has. Then of course he won't get tired at night and won't be able to sleep deeply. Instead, he tries to occupy himself elsewhere and wanders around the apartment while the rest of the family wants to sleep.
This problem is often observed in animals that only get a little exercise, e.g City dogs kept indoors. Some four-legged friends then begin to become destructive at night.
ADHD in dogs
There are also dogs Cases of ADHD known. According to a Finnish study, chronically hyperactive four-legged friends are mostly male, tend to be young and are often left alone. Some breeds such as Jack Russell Terriers, Staffordshire Bulldogs, German Shepherds and Cairn Terriers are particularly commonly affected, so there are probably genetic causes.
5. Disturbed circadian rhythm
Do you travel a lot and have to leave your dog alone for a long time? Or does your four-legged friend really work out early in the morning? Then it may also be that Dog's daily rhythm something is disturbed.
He then uses the day for his deep sleep and does that Night to day. He will often try to get you involved in joint activities. Another possibility for a disturbed day-night rhythm is dementia (see above).
6. Lack of comfortable sleeping space
Also one uncomfortable resting place can lead to the dog not finding peace and suddenly starting to wander at night. Often the dog bed or sofa is too hard, too soft, too big or too small.
Four-legged friends who are particularly affected by this are: Joint diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis or hip dysplasia. Without suitable support, it is often more comfortable for them to slowly wander around than to sleep.
7. Pains
If dogs severe pain They often act as if everything is normal. In the wild they would otherwise be very vulnerable to enemies, the brain is responsible for this Stress hormones which reduce the suffering somewhat.
For exactly this reason, affected animals feel agitated: they are constantly in defense mode and can hardly calm down. At night they often don't lie down, but wander back and forth around the apartment.
If your dog is in pain, you will often – but not always – be in pain protective posture can observe. When trying touching sensitive areas, It is also quite possible that the dog will start to growl, whine or whine – aggression can also occur.
8. Dog has to «facilitate»
However, an unwanted night walk in a dog can also be one completely natural cause have: If your four-legged friend is well behaved and housebroken, he will also be upset if he has one urgent need has.
This can also happen if you actually took a long walk before going to bed. The cause can also be a bladder infection, and digestive problems are also possible.
If you don't notice or ignore the dog's activities, it could get dirty: At some point the animal will no longer be able to hold itself and will urinate or do its “business” in the apartment.
9. It's in the bedroom too warm/too cold
The temperatures can also play a role: Is it in the apartment too warm or too cold, Dogs have trouble finding peace. Instead of sleeping, they prefer to go on a short night hike and are restless.
This can happen not just in summer or winter, but at any time. One Underfloor heating On bitterly cold days, for example, it can cause the dog to suffer from heat. Since the animals have difficulty regulating their body temperature, they do not fall asleep.
Dog wanders at night: This one 6 things you can do
If the dog simply doesn't want to rest at night and instead wanders restlessly, it's not just getting on your nerves: the four-legged friend also suffers from not being able to sleep.
So it's about to find a solution, with which your darling can relax and rest. The following 6 strategies have proven particularly effective.
Which one is suitable for your case depends primarily on the Caused for the night hikes. Once this has been clarified – you also have to pay attention to other symptoms – there is a good chance that your four-legged friend can be helped with one of the following measures.
1. The dog take away fear & Reduce stress
Many dogs wander at night due to chronic stress or even an anxiety disorder. Then it helps above all Relaxation.
The number of solutions is then almost endless: Some animals simply need more attention and cuddles, others relax with music or – especially in cases of separation anxiety – simply when the human family is near them. Some owners also have good experiences with herbal sedatives.
Of course, with this cause you also have to Avoid stress factors. These include, for example, strenuous tours by car or bus/train, crowds of people, too much noise in the house or other dominant four-legged friends who can make life hell for the dog on the walk.
2. More physical & mental activities
It also often helps to give your four-legged friend plenty of exercise during the day. In order for the dog to find peace at night, it must be stimulated and challenged both physically and mentally:
- Hyperactive dogs in particular benefit greatly from more exercise. This not only means that the dog walking route can be longer, but sporting activities, for example in the park and/or dog run area, are also worthwhile.
- Mental activity can take place, for example, in the form of command training. Intelligence toys for dogs, sniffing mats and chew toys can also make better use of the dog's brain.
- If the dog is physically suitable, you can also do endurance sports with him. This includes not only cycling tours or jogging sessions with four-legged friends, but also special dog sports such as mantrailing, dog scooting or pulling sports.
3. Adjust room temperature
If it is too cold or too warm in the bedroom, the main thing that helps is to adjust the temperature slightly.
- In winter this means, above all, turning down the heating.
- On hot days it's a little more difficult: opening windows can bring relief, but sometimes it's not enough. Then it can help to make the surface a little cooler, for example with a cooling mat for dogs.
4. Diet change
If you are sure that the nighttime activity is related to diet, one can Change in food or that Feeding Habits represent a solution.
Dogs that take longer to digest should not be fed too late. A rather early last meal, for example at 6 p.m., is often best.
In some cases it can also make sense to change feed, Because sometimes dogs that don't rest at night have certain nutritional requirements.
Possible food alternatives
5. Species-appropriate & healthy sleeping arrangements
Based on your observations, are you convinced that your four-legged friend doesn't sleep at night because he can't rest comfortably? Then you should work on giving him that sleeping pad to get what he needs to switch off.
Unfortunately, this topic is neglected by many dog owners. To one comfortable resting place To find one, you need to know your four-legged friend's physical requirements and also take his sleeping habits into account.
Depending on the case, these could be the following solutions, for example:
6. Go to the vet
Do you think that pain or a neurological disease is behind the restlessness at night? Then typical solutions will probably be of little help and a professional will be needed: So you have to to the vet. Quite…