Even the most active pets love to sleep, while certified couch potatoes may seem to do little else with their day. Animals need sufficient amounts of restful sleep just as much as their human owners do. Unfortunately, humans and their pets can also suffer from various disorders that interfere with their ability to sleep normally.
If your pet's sleep schedule or habits have taken some strange new turns, you may feel understandably concerned and puzzled by these potential trouble signs. Educate yourself on the subject by taking a look at four of the ways a sleep disorder might impact your pet's health, wellness, behavior, and quality of life.
1. Pets Can Suffer From Insomnia
If you've ever found yourself pacing the house late at night or staring at the ceiling until the sun rises, you already understand how exhausting insomnia can prove. Pets who suffer from nighttime insomnia often have trouble keeping their eyes open during the day. If your pet shares a bed with you, it may fidget all night long.
Like humans, pets can struggle with a disrupted sleep cycle for a variety of reasons. A change in household routine may confuse them as to when they should go to sleep or wake up. (Pets don't understand the concept of Daylight Savings Time, for instance.)
While emotional or mental stress can keep humans awake at night, chronic insomnia in animals more commonly involves some underlying health problem. Examples of such problems include irritating allergy symptoms, cognitive issues such as dementia, heart trouble, or even a brain tumor.
2. Sleep Apnea Can Harm Your Pet's Health
Some people may find it endearing or amusing to hear their pets snore loudly during sleep. However, that snoring could indicate a potentially serious condition called sleep apnea. In sleep apnea, a reduction in airflow to the brain causes a sleeping animal to stop breathing for brief periods, possibly many times each night.
Short-faced animals such as Persian cats, Boston Terriers, Pugs, and French Bulldogs often struggle with sleep apnea due to the way their facial structure affects their breathing ability. Obesity, advancing age, and respiratory infections or allergies can also cause sleep apnea in pets.
Sleep apnea places serious stress on the body. Over time, the condition can raise your pet's risks for heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes. Your veterinarian may correct some breathing issues through antibiotics or antihistamines, depending on the cause. Structural airway problems might call for corrective surgery.
3. Narcolepsy Can Produce Some Scary Symptoms
Both dogs and cats can develop a sleep disorder called narcolepsy. In this condition, a pet may suddenly collapse into apparent unconsciousness for several minutes, typically right after engaging in vigorous activity. A total relaxation of the muscles called cataplexy accompanies these episodes.
Narcolepsy pops up as an inherited trait in certain dog breeds, including Dachshunds, Dobermans, and Labrador Retrievers. It may also signal the presence of another health challenge such as epilepsy or heart disease. Let your veterinarian perform a thorough exam to see whether your pet needs medical treatment.
4. Dream Activity Can Take Over a Pet's Behavior
You've probably seen dogs paddling their legs while asleep. These actions correspond to the dream states that occur alongside rapid eye movement (REM). However, if your pet suffers from a REM behavior disorder, it may actually get up on its feet and run into walls and even attack people or other pets while unconscious.
You'll want to have your veterinarian check out the root cause of your pet's REM behavior disorder. Possible underlying causes may include thyroid disorder and cognitive dysfunction. Your veterinarian may recommend treatment with medication or nutritional supplementation to get the problem under control.
Pet Medical Center of Vero Beach can examine your pet, discuss any recent changes in its sleep habits with you, treat any underlying ailments that might contribute to the problem, and advise you on supportive home care to help your friend cope with a sleep disorder.
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