How long should your cocker spaniel puppy and adult be sleeping? Owners are often fascinated with their pup’s sleeping habits, whether you think your pup could be sleeping too long or too short we’re going to cover it.
Cocker spaniel puppies sleep up to 18-20 hours per day, while adults sleep anywhere between 10-15 hours per day depending on their routine and activity levels.
How Much Do Cocker Spaniels Sleep?
To make this article useful for all, let’s break it down by age. I’ll cover cocker spaniel puppies, adults, and seniors.
Puppies (under 1):
Cocker spaniel puppies can sleep between 18-20 hours a day! Yep, that’s pretty incredible.
Adults (1-9):
Cocker spaniel adults typically sleep anywhere between 10 and 15 hours per day. This depends on their age, activity levels, and general health.
Seniors (over 9):
Senior cocker spaniels usually sleep between 13-18 hours per day. As seniors slow down with age, their sleeping durations naturally increase.
Why Do Cocker Spaniel Puppies Sleep So Much?
The reason cocker spaniel puppies can sleep up to 20 hours a day (including all naps) is that growing takes a lot of energy.
These little pups will grow rapidly between 3 and 7 months, and it will take it out of them.
Although it can be a little worrying having puppy that’s sleeping a lot, this is perfectly normal and to be expected. Once your spaniel reaches early adulthood they will be bouncing off the walls with energy, so get your peace and quiet in now!
Is My Cocker Spaniel Sleeping Too Much?
If you’re worried about a sleepy cocker spaniel you first have to consider their age. Puppies and seniors sleep a lot and that’s normal, adults should be awake for most of the day apart from the standard afternoon nap.
Check for other symptoms:
Apart from age, it’s important to look out for symptoms that could suggest something isn’t right. If extra sleeping is accompanied by lethargy when they are actually awake, food refusal, irritability, diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea then something may actually be wrong.
Consider their routine:
Does your cocker spaniel have a day full of activity? Or are they left to their own devices… Sometimes it could simply be that a cocker spaniel has nothing else to do but sleep. This isn’t ideal, as cocker spaniels are a naturally energetic breed that craves activity.
How Much Sleep Should My Cocker Spaniel Get?
The ideal amount of sleep will change with every cocker spaniel. In general, adult cocker spaniels should get at least 10 hours of sleep per day, anything over this would be considered a bonus.
Puppies should receive at least 16 hours of sleep per day, with the ideal amount being 18 and over. As long as no other negative symptoms are present, when it comes to puppies, the more sleep the better.
Seniors should receive at least 13-15 hours of sleep per day. While it’s important seniors remain active, they will also need more rest and recovery than the average adult.
Related: My Puppy Sleeps All Day & Won’t Eat!
When Will Cocker Spaniel Puppies Sleep Through The Night?
It’s not until around 4-5 months that a cocker spaniel puppy will learn to sleep through the night. Before this moment, potty breaks and restless nights might ensue.
One of the best ways to help your spaniel sleep peacefully throughout the night is to have a good bedtime routine. This means no food at least 3 hours before sleep, multiple trips to their potty spot, and a low-light quiet relaxing environment at least 1 hour before taking them to sleep.
Many pups sleep in crates next to their owner’s bed for even greater success. As the puppy will know they are close by you, they’ll feel safe and secure and more likely to sleep with ease.
Is It Normal For Cocker Spaniels To Sleep During The Day?
Yes, daytime napping and sleeping is perfectly normal and seen in most cocker spaniels. In fact, most breeds usually take an afternoon nap for an hour or two depending on how active they were that morning.
There should be no reason to be concerned with daytime sleeping so long as it’s not ALL day, and no other symptoms are present. Remember, cocker spaniels should be full of energy during all times they aren’t napping.
Will Darkness Help My Dog Sleep Better?
It’s not technically necessary for dogs to have darkness in order to get into a deep sleep, and in general, they are far less sensitive than we are when it comes to getting in some shut-eye.
However, having a dark or blacked-out room will usually lead to a deeper more restful sleep.
As long as the room is mostly dark throughout the night then your cocker spaniel should get a very good sleep. While it might help, it’s not absolutely necessary to have the room totally blacked out.
5 Tips To Help Cocker Spaniels Sleep Better
Let’s run through some tips and general advice that should result in your cocker spaniel sleeping better no matter their age.
1. Evening exercise
Splitting up their exercise into two sessions per day will have a huge impact on their ability to sleep. Exercising for 45 minutes in the morning and again in the evening is by far the best way to exercise a cocker spaniel.
The morning walk is designed to release their pent-up energy after a long night’s sleep, and the evening walk is designed to leave them restful and sleepy towards the end of the day.
The quickest way to improve your spaniel’s sleep is with an evening walk.
2. Dim the lights & lower the volume
As you get later into the evening (say 7pm) it’s a good idea to turn a few extra lights off and lower the volume of talking and the TV.
Not only will this improve your sleep but it will also help your spaniel’s sleep too. A dimmer and quieter environment is what the mind and body need in order to relax and switch off.
3. No food or drink before bed
Your cocker spaniel will get a better night’s sleep if they don’t eat or drink anything for about 3 hours before bed. Evening kibble should be given around 6-7pm depending on when your spaniel usually settles down.
Try to encourage a good drink of water after your spaniel finishes their meal, and then remove it (for now). You can put the water bowl back down once your spaniel is asleep, but it’s important they don’t drink too much before sleeping, as this WILL lead to mid-night potty breaks.
This water rule is essential for puppies, as puppies have an even smaller bladder and usually can’t last long.
4. Brushing and slow belly rubs
A great tip I learned from a friend was to make daily brushing an evening thing. Not only is it easier to brush our dogs at the end of the day, but it also helps them to calm down too.
Instead of brushing just to get it done, it can actually turn into a soothing and pacifying activity that will help your spaniel relax. And of course, you can add in some belly rubs for good measure!
5. Locate their bed to somewhere quiet and warm
This may sound obvious, but I made this mistake for many years. It helps to locate your spaniel’s bed away from the back or front door and in a room that’s very quiet.
Noises coming from outside can spook or set dogs on high alert, so it’s important we try to limit that the best way we can. While it’s generally not encouraged to let adult dogs sleep in the bedroom with us, having them sleep somewhere upstairs could allow them to rest better.
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