What exactly happens when an organism is in a sleep state? The truth is that even today this remains a mystery that has not been fully resolved by the scientific community, whether we are referring to human beings or whether we are talking about the great diversity of existing animals or, more specifically, about our beloved pets.
If you live with a dog, you will have already been able to clearly perceive that sleep is of great importance to it and that it not only sleeps at night but also enjoys this habit during the day, being able to get to sleep a total of 16 hours a day if you are in your adult stage.
If you have stopped to observe your dog right now you may have noticed that he does not always remain completely still, you may have wondered, Is it normal Does my dog move while he sleeps? In this AnimalWised article we try to give you the answer.
Dogs dream
Dogs dream too, just like humans. This has been demonstrated by various studies that have resulted in a brain wave pattern that does not differ excessively from the patterns that any person can show along the different phases of sleep. It is also suggested that the function of sleep in dogs could be very similar to that of sleep in humans: fix the experiences and learning that have occurred during the day.
In summary, we can differentiate between two very different phases in our pet's sleep:
- Slow wave phase: corresponds to a light sleep where any external stimulus can easily wake the dog.
- Deep sleep phase: This is the well-known REM (Rapid Eyes Movement) phase. It is in this phase when the dog rests deeply and not only dreams but also nightmares occur.
If you watch your dog while he rests, you will have noticed that during the day he sleeps very lightly and he wakes up more easily. Dogs can generally reach a full sleep pattern (this means going through phases of slow wave and deep sleep several times) starting at 9 p.m. and until approximately 4 in the morning.
Why does the dog move in his sleep?
The answer is very simple: the dog moves because he is dreaming and his organism tries to recreate what is happening in the dream.
Obviously nature is wise, and as happens with humans, during the REM phase the body has very limited mobility, since it bodily recreates a dream when the dog is not aware of the real environment it could be very dangerous and put your safety at risk.
This means that it's normal for your dog to bark, snout or paw quickly, but don't worry, he'll never run while he's asleep. When the dog dreams it makes small movements that recreate what happens in its dream, but there is a significant mobility limitation that allows keep it safe
My dog woke up agitated, what do I do?
Surely on some occasion you have had a nightmare that caused you to wake up very abruptly and excited, you should know that this it can happen to your dog, at least that's what the research done so far suggests.
If you ever observe this phenomenon in your dog, make use of all your understanding and empathy, approach him to pet him and calm him down, gently accompanying him back to his real environment, where he will once again feel completely safe.
