Expert’s Guide on How to Manage Your Dog or Cat’s Sleep

Managing your pet’s sleep can be a tough ask. In many ways, it is not too different from managing the sleeping patterns of an infant. The general sleep distribution and habits may differ from cats to dogs, but after years of caring for both, I feel that the fundamentals of managing a pet’s sleep remain the same. We all share DNA to some extent, after all.

While this article’s suggestions are not exhaustive,ealth they should definitely help you develop some rules of thumb the next time your favourite companion is creating a ruckus right around midnight.

Healthy pets need more sleep

Studies show that an average male dog requires 14 to 15 hours of sleep a day. Cats on the other hand may sleep anywhere from 15 to 19 hours a day. You are comparatively lucky if you are a dog owner: dogs tend to sleep more at night in sync with a human being’s body clock, whereas cats tend to sleep whenever and wherever they want.

An active day is the key to better sleep

The best advice you will ever receive with regards to your pet’s sleep is to give them an active, healthy lifestyle. Ever wonder why you always slept better after a hard days work with a session at the gym squeezed in somewhere? Well, it’s because the body naturally wants to rest to recover and replenish itself for the next day. Animals are no different.

Managing anxiety

Anxiety can really ‘dog’ your pet down. There may be multiple causes for the anxiety that your dog or cat are experiencing recently, but here are some of the more common:

• A change of environment, such as shifting to a new house, can really be a stressful experience for some pets.
• Feeling neglected or having their basic needs unmet.
• Underlying medical conditions and old age can also lead to anxious feelings.

Immediate Remedies

So what are some immediate measures that you can take to help your pet sleep better at night?

• If your dog or cats sleep worries are constant, I would urge you to visit a veterinarian health professional immediately. There can be many underlying causes, minor and major, that may be the source of your pet’s discomfort and irregular sleeping habits.
• Like mentioned above, exercise is the best heuristic that you could adopt in your plan. Walk your dog once every day and make sure your pets have enough room to walk around comfortably for a significant portion of their waking hours. Proper exercise activities such as playing games with them can also go miles in achieving your goal.
• You can consult with your dogs vet in introducing calming aids as a tool for managing your pets sleep. These have done wonders for many people, particularly where vets have been unable to identify and diagnose other underlying issues.