Sleep And Rest Improve The Health Of Dogs And Cats

It’s nice to see how well your pets rest. Dogs and cats sit in the kennel or on our legs giving us a feeling of serenity. But it will also happen to you, sometimes, to wake them up while you caress them or maybe because you want to play with them. Sleep and rest are essential for their health and it is advisable to always be very respectful towards our animals.

Like humans, pets need a good amount of sleep. Pauses that are used to relax and recover energy.

It does not mean, therefore, that they rest because they have some problem or because of an interrupted sleep at night. It is simply their organism that requires a break.

The animal rhythm of sleep and rest

It is important to learn to understand the importance of rest in your dogs and cats. They are animals and, therefore, have a sleep cycle very different from that of humans.

Depending on their age, they need a longer or shorter rest. Naps and breaks are good for animal health, for several reasons:

• The good mood. Even if you didn’t know it, pets have their own character and personality. Lack of sleep can therefore cause, as in us, nervousness and aggression.
• Energy. Bad rest has physical consequences. A dog that does not rest enough will not have enough strength to carry out daily exercises, to play. Furthermore, in the long run, this lack can even lead to obesity and heart problems.
• Inner peace. Respecting its sleep and rest times will improve the animal’s mood. This results in more meek, calm attitudes and better compliance with the rules.

• General well-being of the organism. Sleeping well, resting, taking breaks when needed are the perfect ingredients for good health. The immune system works at full capacity thanks to the recovery of energy. The right amount of sleep must be guaranteed to ensure a long and safe life for your four-legged friend.

An adequate space to rest well

To facilitate and improve the sleep and rest of your pets, it is worth following a series of tips. They are simple to respect and the positive consequences on the well-being of the dog or cat are guaranteed.

• Choose a suitable place. If your pet’s bed is too far from your bed, your pet will likely spend all night trying to get close. This produces anxiety and stress, leading to less than optimal rest.

• A comfortable bed. The dog or cat must feel comfortable and comfortable in order to sleep well. So choose a kennel that allows the animal to lie down well and where it feels warm, safe and protected.
• Lights can be annoying. Like people, animals also have their own tastes in lighting. There are dogs who sleep everywhere and others who prefer absolute darkness. So choose a suitable area based on your pet’s needs.
• Respect your sleep cycles. If your pet is sleeping at an unusual time, respect his rest. Avoid loud noises and let him recover his energy on his own.
• Do not wake the animal for trivial reasons.
• Rest times. Generally speaking, a dog needs about 12 or at most 16 hours of sleep a day. Cats sleep a lot and can even reach 20 hours. As with human beings, however, it does not all come down to a mere numerical calculation. The amount of hours you sleep is important but also the quality of sleep.

• Adequate rest for efforts. If your dog is used to work, on trips, excursions or other intense activities, it is necessary to carefully mark the hours of rest and ensure adequate space for the animal. Sleep and rest contribute to excellent physical and mental health.

Sleeping is good for your health

Like any owner, you too care about your pet’s health. Well, sleep is the key to making the body function at its best. If your cat or dog has slept badly, or not enough, the energy will be reduced. In addition to the lack of desire to move, you will notice a certain nervousness and a very evident decrease in attention.

This problem needs to be solved immediately by letting the animal recover its natural sleep cycle. Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, you can run into pathologies such as obesity or an acceleration of the heartbeat.

If you have a dog, the times of his day can be marked in this way:

1. 42% of the time devoted to activities (eating, walking, playing and resting);
2. 58% sleep.

Another information that we consider interesting is to remind you that the sleep of animals is not as concentrated as that of humans. Unlike people, who can rest up to 6/8 hours straight, dogs sleep for a maximum of two or three hours. Small periods that are interspersed throughout the day. It is therefore important to always respect their nap, postponing any other activity until later.