What Can I Give an Old Dog to Make Him Sleep Better?

Many dog owners might notice their old dogs suffering from insomnia or sleepless nights. In much the same way as humans, an older dog is more prone to waking frequently during the night and less likely to fall back asleep. In some instances this is a simply side-effect of age and should be treated with proper medication and in other cases it can be cured more naturally.

  1. Causes

    • Insomnia in older dogs can result from many causes. If an old dog is going blind or deaf, he may become frightened during the night and be unable to sleep. Sleeplessness might also be caused by not enough exercise, too much food before bed, pain due to arthritis or on setting illness, stress, tension or even medications such as corticosteroids.

    What to Try

    • Before introducing an old dog to a medication, either natural or pharmaceutical, it is sometimes best to be sure that the dog is not suffering from sleeplessness due to a simple lifestyle problem. Try exercising your dog regularly; for the average older dog, this means two twenty-minute walks per day. Remember to feed your dog at least two hours in advance of bedtime -- food turns into energy and can keep your dog awake. Finally, an older dog is less likely to be comfortable laying on the floor or an old bit of rug so try purchasing a soft dog bed or adding extra padding to the one he already has.

    Natural Medicines

    • In many cases, insomnia can be cured with a simple daily administration of soothing herbs or flower aromas. Herbs such as the passionflower or Valerian are useful for calming a dog and allowing him to sleep. These herbs can usually be found at either a natural medicine store or an herb reseller. Flower essences are useful because they take the calming properties of flowers and use them to calm stress, fear, and anxiety and to promote sleep. Many of these can be used for either humans or people and can usually be purchased from a natural remedy or specialty store. Aromas can often be used to calm a dog in order to relieve stress and fear and induce sleep. These can be purchased as simple oils with scent that can be sprayed around a dog. Two of the most common of these include chamomile and lavender. Other aromas contain natural calming pheromones that are produced by the body.

    Medicine

    • If an old dog has not reacted to proper exercise or natural remedies, it is possible to give a dog simple medicine. A common and safe relaxant to use is Benadryl; however, care must be taken to ensure that there is no acetaminophen or alcohol in the product as both are harmful to dogs. Make sure to check the correct dosage for your dog, and that he doesn't have any pre-existing health conditions and isn't taking other medication that can interact badly with Benadryl; these conditions include hyperthyroidism and cardiovascular disease. All dogs should be taken to a vet before being given medication.