If your dog has been going to be early, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you six common reasons why dogs do it and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my dog go to bed so early? Possible reasons why your dog goes to bed so early are old age, diet issues, illness, depression, or having trouble sleeping through the night.
Your dog might actually be doing it for a number of different reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main causes and there are many things you can do about them.
Reasons why your dog goes to sleep so early
Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main cause.
It’s still a puppy
When dogs are puppies, they will naturally sleep a lot more. It is not uncommon for puppies to sleep for 18-20 hours per day (source). With that being the case, if your dog is a puppy, it might be going to be early because it naturally needs to sleep a lot. This would be more likely if it has not been lethargic when awake, the vet has found no issues and it sleeps through most of the night as well.
An issue with the room it sleeps in
The cause could be it has a hard time falling asleep in the room that it normally has to sleep in. The room could be too hot, bright or noisy. This would be more likely if it has suddenly started going to sleep earlier since having to sleep in a certain room and if it has been waking up during the night a lot.
Nature
The cause might also be that it naturally has grown accustomed to going to sleep at a certain time. Adult dogs can also sleep for 12-14 hours per day (source). So, it might be the case that your dog naturally needs to go to sleep slightly earlier than you especially if you do not sleep for long yourself. This would also be more likely if it is not lethargic when awake and it also sleeps through the night.
An issue with its diet
Another possible cause is that there is an issue with its diet. The cause could be that it is eating too much and it is causing it to become sleepy or it is eating too much of a certain food that also makes it sleepy. This would be more likely if you feed it in the evenings and if it does it more when it eats certain foods.
Illness
Another possible cause is that it has an illness. This would be more likely if it has started sleeping early suddenly, if it has been showing other signs of being ill and if it has been lethargic when awake. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Depression
The cause might also be that something has caused it to start being depressed. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly after an event such as another pet dying or an owner leaving. In this case, it would help to get help from a vet if the behavior does not stop after a few weeks.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason whyy our dog has been doing it.
What else happened when it first started doing it
If your dog did not always go to sleep early, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a chance in its sleeping environment, becoming ill, a change in its diet, you changing your own sleeping routine or something causing it to become depressed.
What is different when your dog does not go to sleep early
If it does not always go to sleep early, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not do it. For example, if it does not go to sleep early when it gets fed earlier in the day, it could be the case that its diet has something to do with it.
What to do about your dog going to sleep early
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
Get help from a vet
If your dog has been behaving unusually or it started doing it suddenly and you are not sure why, the best option would be to get help from a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out the possibility of it being due to injury or illness.
Ensure the room it sleeps in at night is appropriate
It would also help to make sure that the room it sleeps in is appropriate. The room should not been too hot, bright or noisy. It would also help to make sure that it has space to lay down comfortably.
Ensure that it is getting the right diet
Another thing to do would be to make sure that it is eating the right amount of calories, that it is eating things that it should be and that no one else has been feeding it.