Recently, I’ve been reading research on sleeping dogs and cats. Do dogs dream? Are cats really nocturnal animals? Just how much sleep does a dog or cat need? When should a change in sleep habits send you to the phone to make an appointment with your veterinarian?
Researching Animal Sleep
Scientists are exploring the sleep patterns and circadian rhythms in companion animals. These are two traits dogs and cats share with humans. And, while they share the traits, their versions may not adapt well to the typical human cycle of sleep and activity.
The US Government’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences says, “Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions.” Thus, it is important that we understand how we might help our dogs and cats conform to a 24-hour schedule that will help keep the human family members happy and healthy.
Cats Are Crepuscular
Rather than nocturnal or most active at night, cats are crepuscular or most active at dawn and dusk. While they do have better night vision than humans, they are designed to hunt for food in those marginal periods between the heat of the day and the dark of the night.
Copper (shown above) lives and works with food writer and private cooking coach Jacqueline Church. I couldn't resist asking if I could use this photo when she posted it.
If your cat tries to get you up before you’re due to wake, the experts recommend a very active play period at dusk each day to tire the hunter and a strict adherence to no rewards (like attention or food) when the cat tries to become a 5:00 a.m. alarm clock.
If you are away during the day, you could have a pet sitter drop in to wake a cat who might just be sleeping the day away. A bit of mid-day activity or even an alarm or wake up call might help you both sleep through the night.
Do Dogs Dream?
Most dog guardians have seen their dog’s paws twitch while appearing to be sound asleep or have heard low woofs and garbled sounds and wondered if the dog is dreaming.
While we have no way to really know if the animals are dreaming, some researchers speculate that the same type of sorting and storing of daytime activities that seem to occur in humans might be happening with dogs and cats.
Dogs and Cats Nap a Lot
Our companion animals sleep much more than we do. Dogs and cats are nappers with both species clocking in at about 14 hours a day of sleep in their middle years. Puppies, kittens, and elder dogs and cats require more sleep. Interestingly, dogs in active settings, like farms, seem to require less.
Keeping track of how much sleep your dog or cat gets each day will help you notice when that amount increases or decreases. Excessive sleeping or an unusual change in activity level can be a sign that something is wrong. And, if your dog or cat wakes suddenly when they were sound asleep without any outside stimuli to trigger it, it could be a sign of pain when they move in their sleep.
We all joke about how perfectly behaved and adorable our cats and dogs are when they are asleep. However, there may be much more than entertainment value in watching your critter doze. If you can help direct the four-legged sleep cycle, the whole family may be better rested.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino from her City Paws column that appears in papers of the Independent Newspaper Group.
Photography: © Poppy's photos 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Copper's photo by Jacqueline Church
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.