A sleepy golden retriever.

How to Make a Dog Fall Asleep

An easy-to-do guide on how to make a dog fall asleep.

Although your dog can sometimes refuse going to sleep, it doesn’t always have to be difficult. Dogs have lots of energy, but it helps to know what you can do to help your dog wind down at the end of the day. It can be surprising what changes made day-to-day can help your pup fall asleep soundly and quickly. Here are a few ways on how you can make your dog fall asleep.

Dog lying on concrete.

Develop a a proper feeding & sleeping schedules.

Your dog’s eating schedule will directly correspond to his sleeping schedule. Feeding or giving him water right before bed can cause problems such as being energetic, and soon after, needing to relieve himself. Although it can be unhelpful in healthy dogs, if your dog has underlying medical conditions that require higher water intake, do not restrict him from water. It is important to establish a proper feeding schedule for him to best help him sleep and prevent restlessness.

Firstly, make sure to feed your dog soon after he awakes. This will end his overnight fast and give him energy to go out and play and move around.

Secondly, make sure to give your dog his dinner around the same time you eat, and recommended at least a couple hours before bedtime. This will give him time to digest his food and use the restroom before bed. Make sure not to give him unhealthy treats or human food scraps that could upset his stomach. An upset digestive tract can and will keep him up at night and could prevent both of you from sleeping well.

Your dog is a creature of habit just like us. A change is the sleep routine or in his environment can explain his restlessness. Make changes easy for your dog to readjust and give him time to get back into his own routine. Be patient with your dog and it’ll be worth it.

A sleepy bulldog

Make sure to give your dog plenty of exercise daily.

Daily exercise for your dog is crucial to helping him sleep better at night and to prevent restlessness, like most living animals. Dogs will get restless from the lack of physical activity. Dogs need at least 30 minutes to 2 hours of exercise daily, depending on your dog’s breed.

For example, breeds like Collies and Retrievers which are bred for hunting and herding require more exercise than other dogs. Try to take your dog out for a walk down a local trail, around your neighborhood, or to a dog park. Make sure your dog is leash-trained before leaving your home with your dog.

A Shih-tzu lying down

Make going to bed comfortable for your dog.

Use a crate, dog bed, or a dog house to give your dog a recognizable place to sleep. It is also important to crate-train your dog. To do this, first get a crate large enough for him to comfortably move around inside. Secondly, line the crate with newspaper in case of an overnight accident. You can also use padding and blankets to help make the crate more comfortable.

Dog beds can also make your dog more comfortable when going to bed. Some dog beds are even specially designed for specific health issues, such as cooled beds for dogs suffering from the heat, heated beds for dogs suffering from hypothermia, or orthopedic beds for senior dogs.

A sleepy dog next to a pig

Eliminate distractions & other helpful tips

Here are a few simple tips to help with relaxing your pup at night.

  • Limit activities at night to prevent keeping your dog awake and gently stroke his fur to help him relax.
  • Bribe your dog with treats and reward for obedience. You can also employ a positive tone when talking about his bed or crate. Also, never use bedtime as punishment as this can cause your dog to associate bedtime with negative emotions.
  • Keep dog amused when going to bed by using a squeak-less chew toy to keep him calm.
  • The rhythmic ticking of a clock can help relax your dog. Place one nearby to your dog’s designated sleeping spot.
  • Your dog can get anxious if he can’t see or find you. Help him by allowing him to see you and know where you are to help him relax.
  • Essential oils like lavender oil and cedarwood oil have a naturally calming and relaxing effect on both dogs and humans. Dab a small amount of oil around your pet’s sleeping spot to help him relax when going to sleep.
  • Therapy music can help dogs go to sleep. Your dog’s mind responds well to pet therapy music. Certain sound waves help put your dog in a calm state. You can go to YouTube and search for pet therapy music, or go to your mobile app store and search for free pet therapy music apps.

Dogs can sometimes be stubborn when it comes to their bedtime, but if done right, you shouldn’t have anymore problems. These effective methods above can drastically improve the nighttime routine for both you can your dog. We hope this helps with  making your dog fall asleep. Whatever you decide to use to help you, you just need to remember to be consistent. Consistence teaches your dog that he should expect the same thing every time, and that you should deliver every time. They’re quick to learn and please, you just have to try. We hope you learned something today, and thanks for reading!