PDTE 2016 July Newsletter

Sleep is a complex process of active
internal restoration, recuperation and
reconsolidation that is essential to our
health and well-being. It is the same
for our dogs.
Sleep is essential to our well being.
When we do not sleep we do not
function as well, we feel tired and
irritable, we make mistakes and if taken
to extremes we die. It is the same with
our dogs and their sleep patterns are
similar to ours.
The slow wave phase is followed by the rapid eye movement phase (REM).
Interestingly, there is more electrical activity in the brain when in REM sleep than
when awake. This is true of dogs and humans. The dog may seem more agitated
during this type of sleep. You may notice his eyes rolling and the dog may even
whine, bark or move his limbs. The increased electrical activity in the brain is
attributed to dreams, according to one theory 1 . Puppies will spend more time in
the REM phase. During REM sleep, there is also increased activity of a specific
part of the brain, which has an effect on GABA 2 . The increased electrical activity
also results in paralysis of the core muscles so they cannot get up but will twitch,
wag their tails, whimper etc... this is why dogs must be able to lie flat out. A short
video of a dog in REM sleep can be seen on the PDTE Belgium page.
In depth:
Understanding sleep
Sleep is a complex process of active internal restoration, recuperation and reconsolidation that is
essential to our health and well-being. Marina Gates Flemming from Belgium lays out all the details
Photo Credit: Kirsten Merkel, Netherlands
Slow Wave Sleep (Non REM Sleep)
takes up about 70% of our dog’s
sleeping time. This is the time the brain
sleeps. It has 3 stages:
Stage 1: the stage between
wakefulness and sleep. It is difficult
to pinpoint the actual point of falling
asleep as brain wave activity gradually
slows down with breathing becoming
more regular and the heart rate
slowing down.
Dogs need more sleep than
we do. Adult dogs need
about sixteen hours of
sleep a day. Puppies need about
twenty hours of sleep each day.
Safety is essential for dogs to sleep
well (beware of slippery floors) and
we should not disturb our sleeping
dogs.
Dogs are polyphasic sleepers; they
will choose somewhere to sleep for a
while before getting up and moving
somewhere else. This is normal and
instinctive behaviour. Dogs are also
social animals. They normally like to
sleep with company, day and night;
In multi-dog households though,
they may occasionally need to have
the opportunity to sleep alone and
in peace, away from others. Sleep is
a time for them to get some peace
and quiet - our lives can sometimes
be too noisy and active for them.
Dogs should have lots of choices when
it comes to sleeping surfaces. Sofas,
beanbags, baskets, cushions, fluffy
rugs, sheepskins, raised beds, blankets
etc make for wonderful sleeping
surfaces. The sleeping surfaces should
vary in type and size. Provide them at
different locations in the house (and in
the garden when the weather is right).
The sleeping surfaces should have
enough space to lie flat, or curled up
or on top or under things
I would now like to go into a little
more detail on the role sleep plays
in helping our body and brain to
rebalance. Indeed, we might be
tempted to think that sleep is a
passive state of unconsciousness,
this is however far from the truth.
Photo Credit: Marina Gates Flemming, Belgium
Stage 2: the first real stage of
sleep during which muscle activity
decreases further and conscious
awareness of the outside world begins
to fade completely. Brain waves are
mainly in the theta wave range (as
in stage 1 sleep), but in addition the
dog experiences short bursts of brain
activity (spindles) and K-complexes.
Together, these help to protect sleep
by suppressing response to outside
stimuli, as well as aiding in sleepbased
memory consolidation and
information processing.
Stage 3: is also known as deep, delta
or slow-wave sleep (SWS). During
this period the dog will be even less
responsive to the outside world and
pretty much unaware of any sounds or
other stimuli. Both brain activity and
physical indicators such as breathing
rate, heart rate and blood pressure are
all at their lowest levels. Information
processing and memory consolidation
continues to occur during this period.
Photo Credit: Winkie Spiers, UK
SWS and REM sleep promote different types of learning and REM sleep
appears to promote brain development. Sleep is important for the following:
• Recreating homeostasis
• Rebalancing serotonin levels
• Regulating brain electricity
• Consolidating memory
• Reducing cortisol levels
• Boosting the immune system
• Enhancing tissue repair in the brain (and the body)
• Safe experiencing of potential outcomes prepare the
brain for future possibilities
So let’s make sure that both we and our dogs get the safe, good quality and
comfortable sleep we need on a regular basis.
1
Studies have indicated that dogs have the same blood flow to the visual areas of their
brain that we do, so it is very likely that they are seeing images.
2
GABA is the most inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and it appears to have a
widespread distribution in both the brain and spinal cord. Its natural function is to reduce
the activity of the neurons. Some researchers believe that one of the purposes that GABA
serves is to control the fear or anxiety experienced when neurons are overexcited
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