It is 2am and the click of claws on the floorboards has started again. He paces from the bedroom to the back door, pants, stares at the wall, and neither of you has slept through in weeks.
Quick answer: A senior dog who paces, pants, barks or wanders at night is usually dealing with a mix of three things: pain that builds after hours lying still, fading hearing and sight that make a dark house confusing, and canine cognitive dysfunction, the dog version of dementia, which breaks the day-night cycle. Get pain and senses checked, screen for cognitive decline with the DISHA questions, then rebuild the evening: daylight and exercise by day, an early dinner, a calming chew with melatonin, a late toilet trip, a night light and the same bedtime every night.
Why is my senior dog restless at night? The three causes
Pain
Arthritic joints stiffen after a couple of hours on a bed. He gets up to ease them, cannot get comfortable again and starts to wander. Look for: slow rising, circling before lying down, choosing hard floors, panting when he is not hot. A pain trial from the vet often fixes the nights outright. See signs of arthritis in senior dogs.
Fading senses
A dog who cannot hear the house settle or see the doorway in the dark wakes up disoriented and anxious. Look for: startling when touched, following you closely at dusk, standing in the middle of a room at night. Night lights along his routes and a radio on low fix more than people expect. See 12 signs your senior dog is losing vision.
Cognitive dysfunction and sundowning
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a degenerative brain condition with the same kind of protein deposits and oxidative damage seen in human Alzheimer's. Sundowning is the name for restlessness and confusion that get worse as the light goes. Night-time restlessness is often the first sign owners notice, and it can come with new worry about being left; separation anxiety in senior dogs covers that side.
Signs of dementia in dogs: the DISHA checklist
Vets screen for cognitive dysfunction with five questions, plus one.
- Disorientation: stuck behind furniture, staring at walls, going to the hinge side of the door.
- Interaction changes: less greeting, new clinginess or irritability.
- Sleep-wake reversal: up at night, asleep all day.
- House soiling in a dog who was clean.
- Activity changes: aimless pacing, loss of interest.
- Plus new anxiety.
Roughly a quarter of dogs over 11 and most over 15 show some signs.
Keep a one-week night diary before the vet visit. Note when he wakes, what he does (pacing, panting, barking, toilet, staring) and for how long. It turns "he is restless" into a pattern your vet can work with.
How to help a senior dog sleep through the night
- Daylight and exercise in the day. A walk in morning light and some brain work (sniff walks, food puzzles) build sleep pressure and reinforce his body clock.
- Dinner early, then the calming chews. Give them 30 to 60 minutes before you want him settling.
- Last toilet trip on the lead, late, so a full bladder is not the 3am alarm.
- Set the room. His bed in the same spot (orthopaedic if he is stiff), a night light, white noise or a radio on low, and the doors arranged the same way every night.
- Same bedtime, same words. Routine is the treatment for a brain that is losing its map.
- If he wakes: calm voice, guide him back to bed, no bright lights, no play. Reward settling, not wandering.
Nutrition for an aging brain
- Omega-3 DHA: the structural fat of the brain and retina. Diets and supplements with DHA are a standard part of CCD care.
- Antioxidants: vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids and polyphenols reduce the oxidative damage that drives CCD. Antioxidant-enriched diets improved cognitive test scores in older dogs in landmark studies.
- Medium-chain triglycerides: an alternative brain fuel used in prescription cognitive diets.
- Lion's mane mushroom: contains compounds studied for nerve growth factor support, an emerging option for senior dogs. See lion's mane for dogs.
- Melatonin: helps re-anchor the sleep cycle. Doses by weight are in melatonin for dogs: dosage chart.
When to ask the vet about medication
If the routine and nutrition are in place and he still cannot sleep, or the anxiety is distressing, vets have options: selegiline for cognitive dysfunction, gabapentin where pain and anxiety overlap, and trazodone for night sedation. Read calming chews vs trazodone for where each fits. Nobody should be losing sleep for months, and neither should he.
Help him settle into the night
A brain that is losing its clock needs a clear signal that the day is over. OcuLabs Calming + Anxiety Support Chews make that signal part of dinner: two chicken-flavoured chews with or after the evening meal, 30 to 60 minutes before you want him settling.
- A clearer evening rhythm. Melatonin 4 mg per two chews supports a settled evening routine and sleep rhythm.
- Winds down instead of winding up. Valerian root 50 mg supports relaxation and better sleep, with chamomile 80 mg for calm behaviour.
- Calm, not knocked out. Passion flower 30 mg and L-theanine 3 mg support calm, and the formula is non-sedating, so he is still himself in the morning.
If the night waking started suddenly, or he seems sore, see your vet first: pain needs treating, not settling. If he already takes melatonin or any medicine, add up the totals with your vet.
Your first purchase is covered for 90 days from delivery. If they are not right for your dog, email support@ocupetlabs.com for a full refund of the product price, opened or empty jars included.
See Calming + Anxiety Support Chews
Keep reading
- Best calming chews for dogs: how to compare them
- Melatonin for dogs: dosage chart by weight and the xylitol warning
- Separation anxiety in senior dogs: why it starts late and how to treat it
- Lion's mane for dogs: what it does for an aging brain
- Signs of arthritis in senior dogs and the home plan
Frequently asked questions
Why does my old dog get restless at night?
Three overlapping causes: pain that gets worse after lying still, fading hearing and vision that make the dark house confusing, and canine cognitive dysfunction, the dog version of dementia, which scrambles the day-night cycle. Night waking is often the first sign of cognitive decline, and a vet visit sorts out which cause is driving it.
What are the signs of dementia in dogs?
Vets use the DISHA checklist: Disorientation (stuck behind furniture, staring at walls), Interaction changes (less greeting, new clinginess or irritability), Sleep-wake changes (pacing and vocalising at night, sleeping all day), House soiling, and Activity changes, plus new Anxiety. Roughly a quarter of dogs over 11 and most over 15 show some signs.
Does melatonin help senior dogs sleep?
Often, yes. Melatonin helps re-anchor the day-night rhythm when given at the same time each evening, 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Vets commonly use about 3 mg for a mid-size dog. It works best alongside a fixed evening routine and daytime light and exercise.
Is there a treatment for canine cognitive dysfunction?
There is no cure, but several things slow it: the prescription drug selegiline, diets enriched with medium-chain triglycerides and antioxidants, omega-3 DHA, SAMe, enrichment and a steady routine. Lion's mane mushroom is an emerging nutritional option. Pain control is often the biggest single improvement.
What can I give my senior dog to sleep through the night?
After a vet check for pain, build the evening: an early dinner, a calming chew with melatonin and valerian 30 to 60 minutes before bed, a late toilet trip, a dim night light, white noise and the same bedtime every night. If that is not enough, ask your vet about medication.
General information for dog parents, not veterinary advice. If the night waking started suddenly, or your dog seems in pain, confused during the day or unwell, see your vet this week.