How Much Sleep Does a Labradoodle Puppy Need? Do They Sleep a Lot?
If you are thinking of getting a Labradoodle or already have a Labradoodle puppy, you might be wondering how often they sleep.
Their sleep cycles will vary as they age and how you train them.
However, you need to be sure you know their sleeping habits as it will also affect how you sleep and possibly even what time you go to bed.
How much do Labradoodle puppies sleep?
Labradoodle puppies will sleep up to 20 hours a day, but not all at once, and will drop down to sleeping around 10 to 12 hours a day as they age. Puppies will sleep longer if they have had a very active day burning up their energy.
The more energy they get out during the day, the longer they will want to sleep.
Knowing your puppy’s sleeping habits will help you adjust your schedule and will also ensure you are allowing them to get enough rest.
You might also want to adjust your workout or exercise schedule so that they can be active with you and will sleep more at night.
In this article, we will also discuss why Labradoodles need this amount of sleep and how you can ensure your puppy is getting adequate rest.
How Do I Know If My Labradoodle Is Getting the Right Amount of Sleep?
Dogs sleep differently than humans, so your Labradoodle might not always sleep at the same times as you, and they might sleep for longer or shorter periods than you.
Usually, though, dogs will sleep in several short bursts rather than sleeping in one long cycle as we do.
Labradoodles can often be seen taking short power naps.
One reason for this might be because Labradoodles were originally bred to be hunting dogs.
Hunting dogs usually sleep in short bursts so they can stay awake for longer periods of time and watch for prey as a predator.
Dogs also don’t go through the same sleep cycles that humans do which makes their sleeping requirements much different than ours.
For example, Rapid Eye Movement is the stage of sleep where most mammals truly rest.
This happens about 25% of the time when humans are sleeping.
During the REM stage, we enter into the deepest sleep, and we allow our bodies to rejuvenate for the next day.
It’s also the phase of sleep where we dream.
Unlike humans, dogs only enter this phase about 10% of the time.
They require less REM sleep than humans to feel energized and they don’t need as much deep rest.
Active dogs and larger dogs often need more sleep, so the bigger your Labradoodle is, the more time you will find them snoozing and resting.
If you want to make sure your dog is getting enough rest, know that active dogs need about 18 to 20 hours of sleep a day.
You can expect an average day to be about 50% sleep. 30% low or inactivity, and 20% of high activity.
The good news is that dogs don’t get stressed as we do, so they will usually sleep whenever they feel tired.
You don’t usually have to be concerned about your dog getting enough rest.
However, you might need to be concerned if you see them sleeping too much.
Sleeping too much can be because of a health condition or because of boredom and not enough exercise.
Why Isn’t My Labradoodle Sleeping at Night?
In some cases, as your puppy ages and grows, it will adjust to your sleep cycle and will begin sleeping at night.
If the puppy is new to your home, give them a few weeks or months to adjust and see how they do.
Try not to get mad at your puppy or rush them into sleeping more than they should.
Labradoodles also want to spend time with you and this includes even during times where you may be sleeping.
Try to synchronize your sleeping patterns with the dog and create a bedtime routine so they know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be active.
Just because your dog is awake doesn’t mean they will bother you though.
Some Labradoodles just like to be near you so they might choose to lay next to you even when while you are sleeping, but they shouldn’t disturb you.
If your Labradoodle used to sleep at night and now they are changing habits, make sure they are not waking in the night because of health reasons.
If they are awake in the night and throwing up or peeing often, it might be because of an unknown medical reason.
Try taking them to the vet just to make sure everything is okay, especially if the behavior is unusual for them and it concerns you.
They might also be awake during the night if your routine changes.
Don’t be concerned if they don’t sleep as well when you are on vacation with them or you have changed their routine for any reason.
It’s also possible for Labradoodles to suffer from some of the same sleeping disorders that humans have including REM behavior disorder and insomnia.
If they have a REM disorder, it will cause them to run around or scratch things at night.
Insomnia causes the dogs to not be able to sleep and they will spend the night restless and wanting to be near you.
Sleep apnea is also possible although it’s more common in overweight dogs and less common if your Labradoodle is at good weight and size for their age.
How Can I Create a Sleep Routine for My Labradoodle?
If you haven’t already, you might want to consider creating a sleeping routine for the puppy to make sleeping for both of you easier.
Having a routine will tell the puppy when it’s time to sleep and they will be less inclined to want to get up and move around during the night.
If you haven’t trained them yet completely and they aren’t completely housebroken, you might also want to consider letting them sleep in their crate until they are a bit older and can be trusted to move around the house.
Mealtime
The first thing you need to do when determining their sleep routine is to consider meals.
Feeding them too late might cause them to have more energy during the night.
Eating right before bed might also confuse them because they won’t realize it’s time to sleep since they are just having dinner.
Try to feed the puppy when you are eating or feed them earlier if you tend to eat late.
It’s also a good idea to make sure they have a bowel movement after dinner as then they will be less likely to wake up during the night and need to go out and use the bathroom.
Exercise Before Bed
You also need to exercise the puppy before bed.
This can be taking them for a short walk outside or you can play with them inside if it’s raining.
If you have a fenced-in backyard, you can also let them play outside solo or with you.
However, you choose to do it, make sure they have plenty of time to run off steam before sleeping.
If you don’t allow them to get their energy out before bed, they will want to get up and play during the middle of the night which will make you tired and cause you not to get a full night of rest.
Exercising them in the evening will make them more tired and allow them to sleep during the night.
However, Labradoodles are high-energy breeds, and they need to be exercised more than just in the evening.
Try taking them for several walks throughout the day to ensure they are getting energy out during the day so they take naps and then go to bed easily at night.
Bathroom time
The puppy also needs to use the bathroom right before bed.
You might even need to take them out to use the bathroom before bed despite having the evening walk.
If you do this, make sure they know you are only taking them out to use the bathroom and not for another round of play.
You also need to let them out to use the bathroom first thing in the morning.
This will teach them they need to use the bathroom right before bed and right when they wake up so that they don’t spend time in the evening waking you up and needing to go out.
Final Thoughts
On average, your Labradoodle will sleep around 20 hours a day if they are a puppy or if they are very active and need more sleep after exercising.
Older dogs may only sleep 10 t0 12 hours a day. The precise amount of time your dog will spend sleeping will depend on their age, activity levels, bedtime routine, and their health.
