11 Reasons For Dog Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night

11 Reasons For Dog Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night

It can be a thing of concern or frustration if you continuously find your dog waking up in the middle of the night. Having dogs as pet are undeniably cute things, however, one of the downsides is incessantly woken by their pawning, barking or lickings in the middle of the night.

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There are several reasons for dog waking up in the middle of the night. Some might actually be a thing of concern, while others might require just a bit of behavioural training. This article provides comprehensive information on the reasons for dog waking up in the middle of the night and how you can stop this from being a continuous habit that disrupt your night sleep.

Reasons For Dogs Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night

Here are some of the common reasons for dog waking up in the middle of the night and what would make them more likely to be the reason why yours does it.

1. It's Hungry

One of the most probable causes for dog waking up in the middle of the night is because it's Hungry. This could be more likely if it's on a diet or when it's being fed a different food from the ones it's usually fed. Another reason might be a change in the time at which it's fed.

If you notice this change in behaviour, you should ensure you put your dog on the right diet and it should be fed the right food at the right time.

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2. Routine Change

Just like humans, dogs considerably have their own routines. A change in the routine might cause them to behave abnormally. If it has started waking up during the night since changes in things such as the time that you go to sleep, the time you wake up, when you let it out to pee in the evenings or when you feed it in the evenings, it could be the case that a change in its daily routine is what has been causing it.

If the cause is this, you could consider having patience and let your dog get used to the change in routine or try some tricks to get him used to the new routines.

3. Encouragement

Encouraging a behaviour is one of the easiest way to having your dog getting used to an act. In this case, if you continuously encourage your dog waking up in the middle of the night, for instance, giving it extra attention, you might get to see such act being repeated. 

Your dog might perceive this as a way to get your attention or a form of getting rewards

4. Needs to hit the restroom

Irrespective of whether your dog is a puppy or if it's elderly, the need to pee might be the cause for waking up in the middle of the night.

In such stance, it'll be important to ensure that your dog pee before bedtime to prevent the usual night sleep disruption. However, if it's an adult dog, you might want to consider visiting the vet as it might be a medical issue.

As for the puppy, this is quite normal. It might be just that your puppy hasn't been able to master how to control its bladder. In this case, it's better you have some patience until it has been able to control its bladder.

5. Noises

Another reason for dog waking up in the middle of the night is because it heard noises. Dogs are sensitive creatures who can at times hear less audible sounds. This might not be much of a problem unless it raises concerns for security reasons or suspicions.

6. Diet

This was earlier mentioned. A change in diet might cause your dog waking up in the middle of the night. To reduce this, monitor the time your dog is being fed. Change the time and notice whether there's a change in behaviour. 

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7. Requires Medical Attention

Your dog waking up in the middle of the night might be as a result of an illness, injury or a condition that requires medical attention. Any of the aforementioned situation might cause your dog to experience discomfort at night.

This is more likely the cause, especially if such behaviour of waking up in the middle of the night starts suddenly and your dog has also been displaying some discomfort during the day. 

In this situation, you should consider visiting your vet for proper checkup and to administer the right medication.

8. Sleeping Environment

A problem or change in the sleeping environment can also cause to your dog waking up in the middle of the night. This might be because the environment is untidy, noisy or the temperature is too unusual.

In this case, you should change your dog sleeping environment or make it more comfortable.

9. Separation anxiety

This kind of condition is quite common among dogs. Most dogs don't like being left alone as this might cause them to get anxious or scared of being separated form their owner. This is more probable especially when your dog starts showing anxiety behaviour in the middle of the night.

10. Age Problem

As dogs become old their joints will often become painful for them. The reason why it has been waking up during the night could be due to being in discomfort. This would be more likely if your dog is old and if it has been showing signs of being in discomfort during the day and at night. In this case, it would help to consult with your vet about it.

10. Excess energy

It might also be the case that a lack of exercise during the day has been causing it to have a lot of energy at night. This would be more likely if it tends to sleep better when it has gotten exercise during the day. It would help to make sure that your dog has been getting the recommended amount of exercise for its breed

How To Stop Your Dog Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night

• Commit to a good sleep schedule
• This is because a more regular, predictable sleep pattern makes it even more easier for your dog to adapt.
• Consult a veterinarian about incessant behavioral changes
• Spend more time exercising your dog
• Respond to a dog's frequent urination
• This might be a condition far from normal. You should visit your vet for check-up
• Change your dog's feeding schedule
• Reduce your dog's stimulation

One of the reasons for your dog waking up in the middle of the night is because they are overstimulated. You can consider exercising with them in order to tire them out during the day. With that, you can both get a good night sleep. 

Change your dog sleeping environment

Conclusion

Getting to know the reason for dog waking up in the middle of the night might allow you to master the behaviour, how to train them and if it such act requires more medical attention than you would have initially hoped. Hence, you could follow the aforementioned guides and advice to determine the cause as to why your dog wakes up in the middle of the night.