Pawscessories is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
Learn more.
When an australian shepherd starts sleeping more it can be for harmless reasons as well as more serious ones.
Which might make you wonder, is it normal for australian shepherds to sleep so much or is something wrong?
Why Does My Australian Shepherd Sleep So Much:
Australian shepherds will sleep more than usual when they’ve had more physical activity recently than what they’re used to. Other reasons why your australian shepherd might be sleeping a lot is because of their age, what they’ve been eating, if they’re battling depression or if they’re unwell.
In this post you’ll discover:
- How to know if your australian shepherd is sleeping a normal amount or too much
- 8 reasons why australian shepherds sleep so much
- When your aussies excessive sleeping is something to worry about
- Tips to help your australian shepherd get the right amount of sleep
- And much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
How Much Is Too Much Sleep For An Australian Shepherd?
How old your australian shepherd is will play a big role in how much sleep they need.
Puppies generally need more sleep because their body is constantly growing and they need the additional rest to recover.
You could see your aussie pup sleeping around 16 hours per day and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary or anything to be concerned about.
A healthy adult australian shepherd needs around 12 hours of sleep everyday to feel well rested.
And as your pup starts to move into their senior years they’ll start sleeping more again like when they were a puppy.
Roughly 16 hours isn’t abnormal.
The biggest thing to look out for is if your aussie starts noticeably changing up how much they’re sleeping.
If they’re a healthy adult and they start sleeping more than 12 hours everyday without additional exercise, it’s a good idea to have a vet look at them.
Top 8 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Sleep So Much
1) It’s Normal?
If you read the last section you’ll know that your pup simply needs more sleep than you do to feel well rested.
While you can get by in 7-9 hours and feel ready to take on your day, you australian shepherd simply needs around 12 to feel that same level of readiness.
This research has found that dogs only get about 10% deep sleep when they’re asleep.
Whereas people get anywhere between 20-25%.
Which simply means your pup needs more sleeping hours to feel the same amount of rest as you do when you get your 7-9 hours.
So what you might feel is your australian shepherd sleeping a lot, is likely just their necessary normal amount.
If your pup starts sleeping 16-18 hours a day and is healthy as far as you know, they should have a vet take a look at them.
Related Reading: Top 8 Best Beds For Australian Shepherds
2) Recovering
Just like humans, australian shepherds need more sleep after a long day of physical and mental activity.
If your aussie has had a long day of playing, learning new tricks, or even just running around outside they’ll likely need some extra sleep to recover.
In this case it’s perfectly normal to see your australian shepherd sleeping so much.
When they get more activity on a given day than they’re used to, their body needs extra time to recover.
Their muscles need to rest and recover and so does their mind.
Anytime you do more physical activity than your aussie is used to it will usually result in them being a little more sleepy the next day or two.
If they start consistently sleeping more several days after the day they got a lot more activity it’s a good idea to visit the vet for a check-up.
Related Reading: 12 Best Harnesses for Australian Shepherds
3) Battling Depression
Similar to how humans can get depression, dogs too can suffer from it.
And one of the signs of a dog being depressed is an excessive amount of sleep.
Dogs that are depressed will often oversleep and not have much interest in playing or doing anything else for that matter.
If a family member passed away recently, whether it was another pet or a person, your aussie might be mourning.
They’re not sure why their loved one isn’t around anymore and it’s causing them to feel considerably upset.
A study done in 2016 found that dogs who lost a companion would, on average, sleep 34% more.
In addition to eating slower as well as less food in general.
So if someone passed away recently, it could be the reason why your australian shepherd is sleeping so much.
Related Reading: 7 Indicators Your Australian Shepherd Is Depressed + Tips
4) Poor Diet
Just like humans, dogs need a well balanced diet to feel their best.
If they’re not getting the nutrients they need from their food it can lead to them feeling tired and sluggish all day long.
As a result they’ll sleep more because that’s their body’s way of trying to conserve energy.
There are a few things you can do to make sure your aussie is getting the nutrients they need from their food.
The first thing is to make sure they’re eating enough.
If they’re not getting enough calories then they won’t have the energy they need to stay awake and be active during the day.
The second thing you can do is make sure they’re eating the right type of food.
There are a lot of dog foods out there that might not have all the nutrients they need.
So it’s important to read the ingredients and make sure your pup is getting everything they need from their diet.
Things to look out for are one of its main ingredients is a meat-based protein, has little to no preservatives, and is highly digestible on the bag.
Related Reading: 9 Reasons Australian Shepherds Won’t Eat + 6 Helpful Tips
5) Nothing Better To Do
Just like humans, dogs can get bored if they don’t have anything to do.
And when they’re bored they’ll often sleep more as a way of passing the time.
Which can unfortunately turn into a bad cycle of being bored and sleeping more, eating the same amount, putting on a little weight, which makes them want to sleep more.
And the cycle repeats.
Do your best to make sure that when you are home and available to pay attention to them to do some activities with your aussie.
If their baseline becomes sleeping more and becoming lazy it’ll be a difficult habit to break.
Related Reading: Are Australian Shepherds High Maintenance? (Explained!)
6) Age
As your australian shepherd gets older they’ll likely sleep more.
This is because their energy levels will naturally start to decline as they age.
Also, basic everyday movements will start requiring more energy from them as their muscles get weaker.
You might notice they don’t want to play fetch as much or go on long walks like they used to.
And that’s totally normal.
Just because they’re sleeping more doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t well, they’re just getting a little older and need some extra rest.
You definitely want to make sure you maintain their daily activity even as they age though.
If they start getting less physical and mental stimulation as they get older it’ll only make them age quicker.
Same with people as they age. If they stop using their brain on a day-to-day basis cognitive decline can happen quicker.
7) Feeling Off Lately
If your australian shepherd has been sleeping more than usual and they’re not quite themselves lately, it could be because they ate something bad.
Dogs are known to eat things they’re not supposed to and it often results in them feeling sick.
This can cause them to get diarrhea and lower energy levels because they’re not feeling 100%.
Another possibility is that your dog might have a stomach bug.
This can often happen when they eat something bad but it can also be caused by a virus or bacteria.
If your dog has been vomiting or has had diarrhea for more than 24 hours it’s best to take them to the vet to make sure it’s nothing serious.
Dehydration is common with stomach bugs and can also be a reason for your australian shepherd to be sleeping more.
Hydration is super important when it comes to their energy levels and if they aren’t drinking water they’ll be sleepy more.
8) Underlying Health Condition
There are a few health conditions that can cause your australian shepherd to sleep more.
One is diabetes.
Diabetes can make your dog tired because their body isn’t able to process sugar properly.
This can lead to low energy levels and make them want to sleep more.
Another possibility is Cushing’s disease.
Cushing’s disease is when there’s too much cortisol in their body and it can cause a number of different symptoms like weight gain, increased appetite, drinking more water, and sleeping more.
If you notice your australian shepherd has been sleeping a lot more than usual and they’re displaying other symptoms it’s best to take them to the vet to get checked out.
A few other possible health conditions are kidney, liver and heart disease or arthritis.
Other posts you might find interesting:
9 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Are Lazy + Tips To Help
9 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Drool So Much + Tips
11 Reasons Australian Shepherds Shake, Shiver & Tremble
Sources:
Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion