The Alaskan Malamute is a strong, powerful, and large-sized dog originally bred to haul heavy loads. With all of that hard work, it is common for owners to comment on an Alaskan Malamute’s sleep cycle and their love for naps!
On average, an Alaskan Malamute should sleep between 12 – 14 hours if an adult – or between 14 – 18 hours a day if a puppy. Size and age are two of the various factors that can determine exactly how much an Alaskan Malamute will sleep.
Overall, Alaskan Malamute’s are decent sleepers – if owners can provide an adequate sleep routine and comfortable environment for them. To continue learning about an Alaskan Malamute and their need for sleep, keep reading.
The Right Amount of Sleep for an Adult Alaskan Malamute
For your adult Alaskan Malamute is receiving the right amount of sleep, ensure they’re sleeping between at least 12 – 14 hours per day. This can also include any short naps they may have throughout the day.
Note: It is not uncommon for a sick or distressed adult Alaskan Malamute to sleep twice as much as humans, thus they have the potential of sleeping up to 18 hours!
Health Issues Impact Your Adult Alaskan Malamute Sleep
Unfortunately, health issues can impact a dog to sleep just as much as it can impact humans. Here are a few things that can impact your adult Alaskan Malamute’s sleep:
- Sleep Apnea – A disorder causing a blockage in a dog’s airways, ultimately causing them to wake up suddenly.
- Dog Arthritis (or similar joint problems) – Inflammation of the joints causing a great deal of pain.
- Kidney Disease – Failure of the kidneys, resulting in frequent urination as well as other symptoms causing a dog’s lack of sleep.
- Dog Fleas – External parasites living off of a dog’s bloodstream. Fleas cause excessive itchiness as well as inflammation to the skin.
- REM Behavior Disorder – Active physical stimulation when asleep, often resembling the disorder of sleepwalking.
If you’re worried about the health or sleep pattern of your canine, consult with a trusted veterinarian ASAP.
How Much Sleep Does an Alaskan Malamute Puppy Need?
An Alaskan Malamute puppy tends to sleep a lot, often noticed during their early stages of development. It is not uncommon for an Alaskan Malamute puppy to sleep between 14 – 18 hours a day.
If your puppy is exerting a good deal of energy throughout the day, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day!
On average, an Alaskan Malamute puppy should be getting a minimum of 12 hours of sleep a day, and as much as 16 – 18 hours on a busy day.
Health Issues Impact Your Alaskan Malamute Puppy Sleep
Depending on the health of your Alaskan Malamute puppy may determine how much (or little) they’re sleeping per 24-hour sleep cycle. Here are a few things that can impact an Alaskan Malamute puppies sleep:
- Narcolepsy and/or Cataplexy – A sleep disorder commonly found in young dogs which causes uncontrollable sleepiness.
- Dog Anxiety – A disorder common in humans, causing extremely stressful emotions and physical urges.
Other Issues Impact Your Alaskan Malamute Sleep
Various other issues may impact your Alaskan Malamute from receiving a good night’s sleep. Such issues are:
Solid Bedding
Alaskan Malamute’s require soft bedding, as opposed to hard or firm bedding. To prevent calluses from appearing on your dog’s body, ensure you provide a soft bed that suits their requirements.
A Change of Environment
If you’ve recently purchased your beloved canine, the change of scenery can be a difficult hurdle for them to overcome. Eventually, through reassurance and caring measures on your end – they’ll feel safe and secure in their new home in no time!
Lack of Exercise
Alaskan Malamute requires daily exercise to burn off cooped-up energy. A dog that fails to receive daily exercise can find it extremely difficult to fall asleep. Prevent this from occurring by creating an exercise routine that adapts to your routine.
Over-Stimulating Night Routine
For dogs that are midnight players (aka – enjoy running around the house at midnight instead of noon) require minimal attention in the night. Avoid caving into this behavior by correcting your dog or better yet, ignoring him until he has calmed down.
What You Should Do if Your Alaskan Malamute Sleeps too Much?
Although an Alaskan Malamute can never sleep too much, there are a few things you can do to monitor their sleeping schedule and ensure they’re not “over-sleeping”.
First, become aware that a mature Alaskan Malamute can sleep between 12 – 14 hours per day. For Alaskan Malamute puppies, they’re reaching between 14 and up to 20 hours.
If you’re concerned about your Alaskan Malamute exceeding this estimate, be sure to:
- Keep them hydrated by providing plenty of water throughout the day.
- Switch up their diet in an attempt to boost their energy levels.
- Consider appropriate supplements.
- Maintain optimal health.
Numerous factors may cause a dog to sleep too much – such as poor diet, deteriorating health, or old age.
If you’re concerned about your Alaskan Malamute’s sleeping cycle, consult with a trusted Veterinarian and voice.
What You Should Do if Your Alaskan Malamute Sleeps too Little?
Despite an Alaskan Malamute’s love for sleep, there may be things that can cause a sudden decrease. If you’re worried about your Alaskan Malamute not getting enough sleep, don’t worry – there are several things you can do to make sure they’re ok.
Start by Ensuring They’re Healthy.
Pain, body issues, and similar health issues are a few of the main causes of decreased sleep in Alaskan Malamute’s. To combat sleep issues, you’ll need to ensure your dog is physically healthy by seeing a trusted Veterinarian.
Old Age.
It is not uncommon for older dogs to sleep far less than a young or mature dog. Although old age is not a concern for lack of sleep, old age in conjunction with lack of sleep and additional health issues are of concern. As mentioned above, this is when you’ll want to consult with a Veterinarian to ensure their wellbeing.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
If your dog is overweight or lacks daily exercise, this is another main issue caused to affect the Alaskan Malamute’s sleep schedule. Be sure they’re getting at least 20 – 40 minutes of outdoor play per day.
Form a Sleep Regime.
To signal your dog that it’s time to sleep, you need to work hard at creating a routine around their sleep. Not only can this assist in their sleep cycle, but can allow you to receive a decent night rest too!
Herbal Remedies.
If all else fails, opt for herbal remedies or prescription medicines that will aid in providing your Alaskan Malamute adequate sleep. (Note: Consult with your VET before purchase).
How to Get Your Alaskan Malamute to Sleep at Night?
Calm Down
Overactive energy and hyper-stimulation are natural within an Alaskan Malamute, so you’ll need to assure you’re able to calm him down for him to sleep at night.
Do this by:
- Refraining from over-stimulating activities 1 hour before lights out.
- Avoid feeding your dog right before his sleep time.
- Resist giving your dog additional attention before he sleeps.
- Do not acknowledge bad behavior as sleep time approaches – instead, correct bad behavior and go back to limited interaction.
Simple Exercise
If you’re able to maintain a simple exercise routine, you’ll have a much greater success in your Alaskan Malamute achieving a good night’s sleep.
A simple exercise routine doesn’t necessarily mean going for a 6 mile run every day with your Alaskan Malamute.
Instead, it implies allowing your dog to burn off built up energy accumulated throughout the day by outdoor play or activities. This will also aid in draining their energy which in theory, allows them to sleep longer.
If you’re able to provide 40 minutes a day of outdoor exercise for your dog – this is a foolproof way in having them being able to sleep at night.
Comfortable Environment
Much like humans, the majority of us require a calm and comfortable environment for us to be able to get a good night’s sleep. Similar to humans, Alaskan Malamute’s are no different from such requirements.
To get your Alaskan Malamute having a good night’s sleep, be sure to provide a comfortable environment for them.
But what does this look like? A comfortable environment means:
- Warmth.
- A soft, cozy bed.
- Limited visual distractions. (Such as decor, toys, etc.)
- Low volume background noise.
- His/her private bedding area. (Similar to a bedroom).
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