What is called deep sleep in dogs?

The sleep of dogs, humans and other advanced mammals not only allows the body to rest, but also allows the brain to automatically rest and organize memory. effect. The deep sleep that allows the brain to rest is "non-heterogeneous sleep", which is opposite to the "heterogeneous sleep" that allows the body to rest. "Heterophase sleep" refers to sleep in which the human body is already asleep but the eyes are still moving. When the dog can feel safe towards the guardian and environment around him, this safety command signal will be sent to the dog's brain, allowing the dog to gradually enter a deep sleep, that is, "non-heterogeneous sleep", thus causing the brain to Get enough rest.

Good sleep and bad sleep in dogs

Because moderate stimulation has an activating effect on the brain, heterogeneous sleep and non-heterogeneous sleep are the keys to deep sleep. If you oversleep for a long time, the fatigue time will increase accordingly; conversely, it will make the body tired.
Research believes that heterogeneous sleep has a special relationship with memory organization, and if this kind of sleep is not mastered well, it will lead to memory confusion. For example, if a dog gets into an argument with other dogs during a walk, it will feel the terrifying fighting scene in its memory, which will usually produce subconscious thoughts such as "I will never go near that place again" or "It's so scary". It is an innate behavior. Good sleep can relieve the anxiety caused by the dog. Although it cannot change its subconscious mind, it can restore the dog's peace.
Stress response is the enemy of deep sleep. It can directly prevent the body and brain from eliminating fatigue. Diseases such as colds, heart disease, gastric ulcers and diabetes are often triggers, which in turn cause stress reactions in dogs. If this situation continues, dogs with poor sleep will develop behavioral problems, such as suddenly fighting back, fighting with other dogs, being disobedient, etc.

Sleep of elderly dogs

Now we know that "deep sleep" is indispensable and the best way to eliminate fatigue. However, the situation of elderly dogs is : As the body and functions decline, sleep time will naturally increase, but most of it is fragmented sleep, which means that high-quality sleep quality is basically not guaranteed.
If you cannot sleep deeply, you will naturally not be able to organize the damaged nerve tissue well. At the same time, you will not be able to regulate normal physiological activities such as metabolism well. You will not be able to secrete hormones that activate body functions, and you will be accompanied by irritability and stress. irritation reactions and other factors that are not beneficial to the body. In addition, elderly dogs often suffer from metabolic disorders and low body temperature, so be sure to pay attention to the temperature of the surrounding environment.

Key points for a comfortable sleep for dogs

Let the dog receive command signals frequently to make it emotionalBeing in an active state, such as giving simple commands such as drinking water or sitting down while eating, can make the dog's mind receive command signals and activate its brain, thus improving its sleep quality. However, this method does not work for some elderly dogs. Therefore, elderly dogs can also use moderate exercise to allow their brains to receive more external stimulation, and ultimately achieve the purpose of falling asleep deeply.
In addition, a suitable place to sleep is also important. You can let the dog choose according to his own preferences, or you can arrange a quiet, non-irritating smell and stable place for him, such as a bed or a cage. At the same time, if the dog's body temperature is low, it cannot sleep deeply. Touch its toes with your hands. If it feels cold, you can use a towel to maintain its body temperature and adjust the indoor temperature. It is best to keep it at 18-20 degrees Celsius.