If your older dog has begun pacing the floors at night and having trouble settling down, it could be a sign of dementia, just as people with age-related dementia may feel restless at night with a sign of Alzheimer’s disease known as sundowner’s syndrome. When researchers at North Carolina State University studied 28 dogs ages 10 to 16, they found that those with dementia took longer to fall asleep and spent less time sleeping. The higher the dementia score, the less time the dogs spent in both REM and non-REM sleep.
Sufficient deep sleep is necessary for memory and for “decluttering” the brain, so a lack of good sleep may actually contribute to the disorientation of cognitive dysfunction that is part and parcel of dementia. Perhaps that’s why some dogs may show a decline in sleeping patterns even before a decrease in brain function becomes apparent. It can be a harbinger of dementia to come. If you see such a change in your own aging dog, be patient. Your dog is not trying to annoy you. His brain is simply not letting him attain a healthy sleep pattern.
