Monday, March 7, 2016

5 things to know about dogs and sleep

NOTE: Serta and Branded Pet Beds are proud sponsors of Life With Beagle's Lulu's Favorite Things campaign, benefiting Harbor House of Central Florida. The 2016 Paws for Peace  walk is this April. Join and help fight domestic abuse.

UPDATE: The giveaway ended March 15, 2016.

This week is National Sleep Awareness Week.

So how aware are you of how your dog sleeps?

Here's 5 things to know about dogs and sleep.


sleeping dogs and a giveaway

Sleep is just as important for a dog as it is for a human. And while it seems like your dog can sleep anywhere, sometimes having a good place to sleep can be just as important -- and the older the dog, the more comfort they leave.

Dogs can be up like a shot.
1) Many dogs sleep 12 to 14 hours a day. But some dogs need more sleep -- 18-20 hours a day. That can include puppies, older dogs and certain breeds. Dogs are largely flexible sleepers. They don't need several continuous hours like we do. They can sleep in spurts. But because of this, they don't get as much REM sleep. Hence, why they sleep more than we do.

Dogs will sleep if they are bored.

2) Boredom can also make them sleep more. An active, healthy dog may sleep less. Dogs that are bored tend to sleep because there is nothing else to do. Beware -- boredom can also lead to behavioral problems.

Evolution in sleep
Dogs have been sleeping like this for ages.
3) Does your dog circle around and rearrange the sleep space? They are building a nest. When the dogs sleep in the wild, they sleep in dens and create a space where they can sleep in a ball. They do this to conserve body heat and protect themselves from predators.

Dogs dreaming
If your dog twitches or groans in their sleep, they are dreaming about something that happened to them.
4) Dogs not only dream, they move and maybe even "speak" in their sleep. When a dog enters REM sleep they will dream. They may twitch, shake or even growl in their sleep. What are dogs dreaming about? Psychologists suspect they are dreaming about everyday dog things -- possibly inspired about things that happened to them that day.

Dogs can have human sleeping disorders.

5) And dogs can have sleep problems too. Dogs can get sleep apnea or insomnia, among other things. And these problems can be caused by the same things that cause those problems in humans. A trip to the vet may help your pet.

So a good bed can go a long way toward helping them sleep well.

Branded Pet Beds sells Serta pet beds, using the same technology they use in human beds.


Lulu and Jasmine have this bed, a Serta Quilted Pillow Top Bed. We reviewed it last year. It uses a therapeutic memory foam mattress. We've had our bed for almost a year now, and it still has its shape -- and I've laid on this bed with the dogs from time to time. It's pretty sturdy, and great if you have a dog with joint issues.

Now Branded Pet Beds is bringing Serta's iComfort system to pet beds.

Enter to win a Serta pet bed
Courtesy Branded Pet Beds.
Here's what Serta has to say about the new iComfort:
"Serta’s Cool Action™ Dual Effects® material is uniquely designed to help reduce average body pressure, which can help reduce tossing and turning for a deeper and more restful sleep. Millions of MicroSupport® gel beads gather under the areas of your dog’s body that need extra support. Technology-driven material combines an open cell structure with an exclusive MicroCool+® gel to significantly increase airflow and the ability to dissipate heat. Together these properties help whisk heat away from the body."

61 comments :

  1. AH I collect Serta sheep plush toys because they're SO CUTE *_*

    Juno, my puppy Golden, likes to sleep in her crate (we keep the door open at all times) with her legs straight up and spread apart.

    Iris, my Jack Russell, is perfectly content in the bed cuddled up on my stomach.

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  2. either snuggled up in the crook of my neck or they all lay longways to take up as much of the bed as she can so we have to play Petris to find a spot to lie down in

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  3. Dagny, my beagle mix, likes to find her place in the sun! She will even move her bed so that she is basking in the sunlight through the windows! She also loves to nap poolside in the sun!

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  4. sideways in my bed so i am hanging off the bed.

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  5. They like to sleep in bed with me.

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  6. she likes to sleep on the top of the couch...like a cat.

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  7. That bed is darling...not entering though because Dakota seems to prefer flat beds, if I won, Cody would end up using it and God knows he has enough beds lol. Good luck to all who enter! DakotasDen

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  8. My pet loves to sleep on the couch during the day and in my bed at night!

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  9. He loves sleeping with me or napping under our coffee table :)

    LInda

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  10. my dog loves to sleep on my bed...takes up more than half of it! ~saegan anderson

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  11. My dogs love to sleep on the couches or under the dinning room table.

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  12. My pup's favorite place to sleep is right under my legs! Thanks

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  13. My dog loves to sleep on my lap when I let him. He also loves his bed, snuggling under a blanket.

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  14. curled up right next to me

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  15. My cat sleeps on the bed with me but he has his own separate pillow :D
    though sometimes he decides my pillow is also his pillow - in which case I only get a little bit of the corner to rest my head on.
    thanks!

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  16. My dog loves sleeping on the couch!

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  17. on the leather couch

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  18. My cat Shiva likes to sleep on my side of the bed.

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  19. Her favorite place to sleep is in the bed with me.

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  20. He loves to sleep in my bed!

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  21. My Elle Mae loves to sleep in my bed, completely under the covers. She is a Mini Pin. and I think she likes under the blankets because she stays kinda cold most of the time.

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  22. Loves to sleep on the couch. nathankyle1707@yahoo.com Jeremy mclaughlin

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  23. My dogs like to sit on my lap or next to me. At night they sleep in
    a crates in my bedroom at night

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  24. My dogs both prefer their beds, with lots of blankets (they sleep on the blankets, not under them).

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  25. I have two cats Amy and Squeaky, they love to sleep on my bed

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  26. He likes to sleep near the glass door.

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  27. He sleeps in an old dog bed he is just about outgrown.

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  28. In my bed with me.. even though she's not allowed!!

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  29. He does not have his own bed so he likes to sleep in mine!

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  30. At night, she has her own soft crate filled with blankets she nicely curls up in. During the day, she steals everyone's favorite soft throw and sleeps on it.

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  31. on couch under my blankets ;) lol

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  32. On the couch where the sun streams in :)

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  33. My dog's favorite place to sleep is in my bed. I have a bed for her in the living room but it sucks and needs to be replaced.

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  34. She sleeps curled up right on my lap!

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  35. He sleeps on my son's bed with him.

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  36. She loves sleeping on the couch!

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  37. My YorkiePoo, Cubby likes to sleep with me sometimes and sometimes in his bed.

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  38. He loves sleeping on our chair in the living room

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  39. my dog likes to sleep on the couch

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  40. My dogs favorite place to sleep is on my bed!

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  41. She loves to sleep on the bed and on the couch!

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  42. On the bed or couch, but mostly the bed when I am sleeping too.

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  43. He loves sleeping with me on my bed :)

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  44. She sleeps in the bed with me. The other night I must of been hot and threw the covers off the bed. When I woke up she was nestled in them. Maybe she would like a bed of her own.

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  45. She loves sleeping on the couch
    crazyweirdo33@yahoo.com

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  46. my pets favorite place to sleep is at the foot of my bed

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  47. My dogs favorite place to sleep is at the feet of anywhere we are sitting.

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  48. My English bulldog loves to sleep in our beds. Also he loves to lay in the sunlight coming into the dining room floor. He's not too picky with his naps :)

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  49. My chihuahua sleeps right next to me and my terrier sleeps behind the sofa.

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  50. my pets favorite place to sleep right now is by the heater in the living room,, he loves all the heat

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  51. My cats favorite place to sleep is by my side on the bed or in the sunshine by the front door

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  52. she likes my bed.. but loves the couch. Her own bed would be awesome and they look comfy

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  53. My dog has a chair she likes to get under and watch what everyone is doing.

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  54. Little dog on the bed, but the mammoth dog has to sleep on the floor LOL.

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  55. my little short haired havanese loves to sleep on the top of the couch (behind my head).

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  56. My dog likes to curl up in our bean bag chair, he usually has it all smushed into the perfect nest for him at all times.

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