The age of six months is a crucial time in a puppy’s life. It goes through many changes at this age. The list of changes also includes the sleeping schedule. Sleep is an important part of a puppy for many reasons.
Today, we are going to discuss and find out how much a 6 month old puppy sleeps.
6 month old puppy sleep requirements:
A six month old puppy needs a minimum of fourteen hours of sleep everyday. However, a six month old puppy can be seen sleeping as much as eighteen hours per day. Breed, daily diet, feeding schedule, and exercise schedule can influence the sleep pattern of a six month old puppy.
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The sleep requirements of a six month old puppy should not be taken lightly. A six month old puppy needs an adequate amount of sleep everyday to function properly just like other animals. The sleeping schedule and need of a six month old puppy might vary according to its breed.
But there is a minimum sleep limit and a maximum sleep limit recommended by animal experts for a six month old puppy. It is believed by experts that a six month old puppy needs to sleep at least fourteen hours per day.
But the sleep limit of a six month old puppy should not cross the eighteen hour limit per day.
Short naps are key to a six month old puppy’s sleep pattern. Small naps taken during the day time make up the majority of the sleep time for six month old puppies. A vet should be consulted if your six month old puppy is not getting enough sleep.
Is it normal for a 6 month old puppy to sleep a lot?
Puppyhood can be mysterious in many ways for a dog. However, one thing that can be said about puppies is they need a lot of sleep in order to function effectively. A fully grown up dog does not require so much sleep as a puppy does.
The reason behind this is that puppyhood is a transitional period for dogs. Most importantly, the six month mark is the stepping stone for a puppy towards adolescence. A six month old puppy does not sleep as much as a one to five month old puppy.
But in spite of that, a six month old puppy is known for sleeping a lot. It is normal for a six month old puppy to sleep a lot. Because it regains the lost energy by sleeping. Sleeping is a common daily activity for a puppy just like other animals.
According to animal experts, a puppy needs to sleep at least fourteen to eighteen hours per day when it reaches the age of six months. If a six month old puppy sleeps less than fourteen fours or more than eighteen hours, then its health will start to deteriorate.
It is important for puppies to have a consistent sleeping pattern for optimum growth and development. There is no alternative to sound sleep for a six month old puppy.
The fourteen to eighteen hour sleep per day helps the six month old puppy to retain the information it gets from training and exercise.
You will have to make sure that your six month old puppy is getting enough sleep everyday. A vet should be consulted if your puppy is continuously over sleeping or under sleeping.
If your six month old puppy is seen taking small naps during the day and sleeping through the night, then the sleeping pattern can be termed as being normal.
How much should a 6 month/24 week old puppy sleep at night?
How much a six month or twenty four week old puppy should sleep at night depends on a number of factors. First of all, the capability of a puppy’s bladder often decides how much it can sleep without a break.
A six month old puppy can go as much as eight to ten hours without needing to relieve itself.
So a six month or twenty four week old puppy should sleep at least eight hours at night. However, according to animal experts, it is safer to take your six month old puppy outside after it has a six hour sleep during the night.
It cuts down the risk of your puppy relieving itself in the crate.
But the important thing to remember here is that different breeds of dogs have different sleeping pattern and some breeds will sleep less than others at night. The breeds that sleep less during the night are known for sleeping more during the day in order to fill the gap.
If your six month old puppy is struggling to sleep at night, then there might be something wrong with its daily diet and exercise schedule. In this case, the help of a vet can be sought to handle the sleep problem of your six month old puppy.
A soothing and long sleep during night will give the puppy an abundance of energy during the day.
How often do 6 month old puppies sleep?
The sleep pattern of a six month old puppy is interesting indeed. A healthy six month old puppy needs to sleep for a total of fourteen to eighteen hours per day. On an average, a six month old puppy will sleep for sixteen hours daily.
The important thing to remember here is that a puppy does not get these sixteen hours of sleeping without a break. Actually, a six month old puppy covers its sixteen hour quota of sleep in installments. So a six month old puppy will sleep multiple times during the day.
Its sleep schedule will be based around the feeding, exercising, and playing time.
Most puppies will have thirty minutes of naps throughout the day before and after a meal. They will also have a peaceful nap before and after exercise time. A six month old puppy will be seen having lots of short naps during the day.
The eight hour night sleep is not enough to complete the sixteen hour quota. These large numbers of naps during the daytime help to cover the sleep requirements of a six month old puppy.
If your six month old puppy is not getting enough naps during the day, then it will start showcasing erratic behaviors such as excessive biting and barking.
Sometimes you will need to wake your six month old puppy from naps in order to feed it and take it out on a walk. This can backfire if your puppy does not have a fixed feeding and exercising schedule.
You will need to make a feeding and exercise schedule that complements the sleep pattern of your six month old puppy.
Why is my 6 month old puppy sleeping so much?
Sometimes dog owners get worried when their six month old puppies start sleeping a lot. However, there are some valid reasons why a six month old puppy might be sleeping so much. Let’s discuss in detail about some of those reasons.
To regain energy:
One of the major reasons why a six month old puppy starts sleeping a lot is to regain energy. Puppies start getting many new training sessions when they hit the age of six months. These new training and exercises take a lot on their body and mind.
So your six month old might be needing fourteen to eighteen hours of sleep every day to regain the lost energy.
You will have to be careful about the fact that the daily sleep time does not cross the eighteen hour mark. Sleep time falling below the fourteen hour mark is also alarming.
To relearn the training and exercise:
A six month old puppy goes through several training and exercises during the day. The short naps it takes throughout the day helps the puppy to relearn the teachings of the training and exercise.
Puppies need lots of naps everyday to break down the information that is thrown at them in the form of training and exercise. The practical experiences of everyday life take a permanent place in their mind during these naps they take.
It is absolutely okay for a six month old baby to sleep sixteen hours a day.
To grow physically:
The sixteen hours of sleep everyday helps the six month old puppy physically as well. The short naps during the day help it with digestion and the long sleep during the night increases its energy level.
A six month old puppy that is facing sleep deprivation will not be able to have an optimum growth. The six month old puppies really need the regular sixteen hour sleep to reach their full potential physically.
Final Thoughts
According to animal experts, six month old puppies require sixteen hours of sleep daily. But six month old puppies can sleep only eight hours during the night. The rest of the sleep time is covered through small naps during the daytime. Lack of sleep can cause erratic behaviors in a puppy.