How to Get a Puppy to Sleep Through the Night

The first few months of living with a new puppy is a mixture of joy, excitement, and challenging, wakeful nights.

So, how do you get your new puppy to sleep through the night? With these tips!

Our Tips to Help Your Puppy Sleep Through the Night

The younger your puppy, the more likely it is that they’ll need to go out frequently throughout the night. Here are our tips to help you and your puppy get a better night’s sleep:

Give Them Lots of Exercise During the Day

If you tire out your new puppy throughout the day, they’re much more likely to soundly sleep through the night. Even if your pups can’t go on walks yet, it’s crucial to give them plenty of mental and physical stimulation in your home and backyard.

Play with your puppy with toys, chase each other around, and start some simple training exercises. Once you’re both comfortable putting on the leash and going for a walk, you can take laps around your house together. You can also feed them with puzzle toys to help engage their mind while they eat.

Take Them Out for Regular Potty Breaks

Every night, take your puppy out right before bedtime for a potty break. Puppies can’t hold their bladders for longer than a few hours.

If they get a potty break right before they go to bed, you’ll get more time to sleep before you need to get up to let them outside again. Don’t get upset if your puppy whines to go potty during the night—it’s better than them taking their potty break inside!

Establish a Bedtime Routine

Bedtime should feel like bedtime. When it’s getting late, make your home feel cozy by dimming the lights, putting on soft music, and making a soft nest for your puppy to snuggle comfortably. You can also include a piece of your clothing with their bedding; this can help your puppy feel safe at night.

For anxious puppy sleepers, you can try DAP diffusers and collars or heartbeat toys to help them sleep comfortably and soundly.

Give Them a Soothing Sleep Environment

Decide where your puppy’s bed will be, and stick to it. When you have a designated spot for them, it’s easier for you to resist the temptation of letting them sleep in the bed with you when they whine and cry at night.

If you start out letting them sleep with you at night, you’re more likely to condition them to always want to be in your bed to sleep. And there’s nothing wrong with that choice, but you do want it to be a choice!

Sometimes, Less Space is More

tiny black and brown puppy sleeping on a dog bed

Confinement spaces or crates are a great choice for new puppies. Until they’ve grown enough to hold their bladder throughout the night, letting them sleep with you is a recipe for soggy sheets. If you’d rather not wake up to wet spots, you can create a small space for your puppy to spend the night with a soft nest of bedding.

For confinement spaces, you can include a potty pad near your puppy’s bed so that they can do their business in the night without waking you.

Have a puppy but you’re not entirely sure how to get them settled in your apartment? Check out Redfin’s Apartment Patio Ideas for Dog’s blog article for some tips and tricks!

They’ll Need Mid-Night Potty Breaks—Do Them Right

If you crate your puppy at night, they’ll have to go before the morning comes. Puppies can’t hold their bladders through the night, and they don’t like to go potty in their crate. Those two things put together mean that, when you crate your pup overnight, you’ll have to get up to let them out at least once.

Unless your new puppy is a tiny breed, you can expect them to be able to hold their urine for about how many months old they are—for example, a two-month-old puppy will likely only be able to hold it in for about two hours.

When you take them out for a midnight potty break, do it right: say quiet, calm, and don’t engage them with toys or play (even though they might try to convince you otherwise!).

Don’t Acknowledge Needless Crying & Whining

If you come running every time your puppy makes a noise, they’re going to learn that crying and whining gets them attention. While you shouldn’t ignore them when they need to go potty or aren’t feeling well, you’ll never get a good night’s rest if you get up every time your puppy feels lonely in the night.

Many times, if you crate your puppy in the bedroom with you, they won’t cry throughout the night unless they need to go out—they know you’re nearby and can feel comfortable.

Your Puppy Sleeping Questions Answered

a small black puppy sitting with its owner

What do I do if my puppy is fussy throughout the night?

Try giving them a bedtime chew! After chewing on a bone or toy, most puppies will be ready for a nap. If they only fuss for a few minutes, ensure they don’t need to go potty, and then you can wait out their fit.

How do I know if my puppy really needs to go potty?

Each puppy communicates differently, so at first, it will be trial and error. Most puppies will whine if they need to go, and they may or may not fidget in their crate. Until you learn your puppy’s body language, err on the side of caution and take them outside when they get fussy.

What if my puppy used to sleep throughout the night but now wakes me up frequently?

If your puppy starts needing to go out much more often, it can be a sign of bladder infection. It’s easy to diagnose and treat; don’t worry!

My puppy hates the crate! What now?

A good crate training routine can help your puppy feel comfortable with sleeping and being in their crate. It’s a great way to speed up their housetraining—they won’t want to soil their little living space! And crate training as a puppy means that, if it’s necessary, you can comfortably allow them in (a larger) crate when they get older.

Looking for more answers about your new puppy? View our free resources for more info! Don’t forget that at All Paws Express, we can help you affordably and safely relocate your pets when it’s time to move!