Why Is My Dog So Hyper at Night?
We now have two dogs, and the newest one was unlike anything we had ever experienced. His evening behavior was almost manic as if he would get a massive burst of energy at night. The good thing is that it was a phase that he grew out of by the time he was 18 months old, but some dogs do not. Although it may seem amusing the first time, it is very stressful for you if your dog is running around like an absolute maniac at night and knocking things over.
But let me help…
The reason why your dog is so hyper at night can be attributed to a variety of factors. It may be due to their lack of exercise or mental stimulation that they have pent-up energy. Occasionally, a dog can go hyper if overexerted or in discomfort.
There is nothing unusual about this; it could be a phase that the dog goes through when she is younger. Although those nightly bursts of energy can be very annoying, there are some things that you can do to manage them. I find it to be more concerning when adult dogs suddenly go crazy at night, especially if they are already hyper. Below, you will find all the details and some tips to help you get through this nighttime hyperactivity to sleep better.
Dealing with a hyper dog at night
When a dog is so hyper at night that you start worrying about him, it can seem as though there is no end to his problems. As I have mentioned before, it is often the case that the dog will stop barking once they are more mature.
It is possible, however, to calm a hyperactive dog down. How to handle your dog’s sudden bursts of energy at night and why they happen.
The word zoomies is used to refer to these brief bursts of energy that occur at night suddenly and unexpectedly. Experts also refer to these bursts of energy as frappings or fraps. FRAPS stands for “frenetic random activity periods” and “frenetic random activity periods.”
Before you read more, know what to expect. A 16-week-old puppy is perfectly normal to sleep longer during the day and then to be more active at night, as opposed to a dog that is one year old. As they grow older, they will become more active during the day as they become more active during the night.
After one and a half years, dogs will spend around 3 hours of sleep between 8 am and 8 pm, and between 8 pm and 8 am, they will spend approximately 7 to 9 hours. In contrast to humans, dogs do not have continuous hours of sleep but rather a cycle of sleep-wake cycles in which they spend 16 minutes asleep and 5 minutes awake on average each night.
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Lack of enough play or exercise during the day
If your dog needs more exercise during the day, they will likely have sudden bursts of energy at night. Every dog needs to engage in regular physical activity since it is the primary outlet for their energy.
The problem is that if they don’t do that, you could be hit by an energy surge at home at any time – the worst time would be at night, of course!
Your dog’s breed, age, and other factors will determine how much exercise they need. If your dog is a small breed, they may only need thirty minutes of exercise a day or an hour (or more if they are a large breed). Please stop being so hyper now that it is nighttime!
Whenever your dog has been cooped up inside the house all day while you go away to work, without playtime or exercise, they’ll need to find a way to burn off all the excess energy they’ve contained inside them all day.
2. They don’t get enough mental stimulation daily
Your dog will benefit from mental stimulation more so than physical stimulation since it will help offset excess energy in your dog. The following are some of the mentally stimulating games (see on Amazon) and toys that can help your dog release extra power, such as the following ones:
- Puzzle toys
- Hide and seek
- Find the treat
- Scent games
There is a higher chance that when your dog is indoors all day without anything to keep their idle minds engaged, they will get a sudden burst of energy at night if they are indoors all day.
Here are some additional ideas for mental stimulation dog toys that you may find helpful.
3. A response to a stressful event
If your dog has just “overcome” an event that was stressful during the evening, such as bath time or fireworks, he will have too much tension built up in his body, which he will want to let go of. Zoomies can also be triggered by separation anxiety, which manifests as your dog suddenly going hyper when you return home at night after being separated for some time.
Usually, when you return home late after being away from your dog for quite a while, your dog may be hyperactive to release all the anxious emotions he has bottled up throughout the day from being away from you for so long.
4. Too tired to keep calm
There is no doubt that Zoomies are the dog version of toddler tantrums at bedtime. A busy day for your dog might leave them exhausted and confused about why they feel the way they do.
The same as a human toddler!
A child’s hyperactive behavior at bedtime could be their way of telling you that they are exhausted and need help switching from a sleeping to a resting mode because they are incredibly unproductive.
If your dog doesn’t have a routine for going to bed at the same time, it might throw tantrums at you.
5. Eating at the wrong time
Most experts recommend feeding your dog at least three hours before bedtime and having a light play session with them a few hours before they go to sleep (to exhaust the energy that the food has given them). If, for instance, their regular dog food is full of carbs, they can burn a lot of energy after eating their evening meal.
6. Hyper at night when in discomfort
Believe it or not, dogs have a tendency to get into a hyper mode when they are in discomfort.
In the case of a dog that may have a slight stomachache or is experiencing a tingling sensation on its body (probably caused by an insect bite), it may think that running away will make the discomfort go away.
7. Uncomfortable sleeping space
You can be sure that your dog has their bed all to themselves. When they feel that it is too hot or cold inside, they might unleash zoomies to escape the discomfort of being inside. It is also possible for your dog to become hyperactive at night if he is having trouble sleeping due to distractions at home.
Especially if they aren’t used to sleeping with lights on or background noises, this may cause them to become anxious and cause them to feel the need to expel these feelings through zoomies.
8. You enjoy the Zoomies.
The hyperactivity may become the go-to thing for your dog at night if you realize that you usually react positively to their wilding episodes.
Depending on how you react, you might laugh, run after them, or call their name as your positive reaction. The dog will assume that you like it when they are hyper and will try to entertain you regularly while they are jittery.
How to calm a hyper dog at night
Even though you can’t stop your dog from getting zoomies entirely since it’s unpredictable behavior, you can try to reduce how often it happens and some of the hyperactivity that goes along with it.
If you want to ensure that your dog has fewer hyper nights, here are a few things you can do to help:
Do not join in on the “fun.”
The best way to handle hyperdogs is to ignore them as much as possible. It is not a good idea to call them or run after them.
This will only prolong the hype sessions and encourage them to continue to entertain you with the zoomies over and over again.
Encourage calm behavior by rewarding calm behavior.
Throwing a treat or a toy at your dog when they are hyper is not a good idea because they will think you are rewarding their agitated behavior by giving them that treat or toy. It is better to wait until they have settled down before rewarding them. Your dog will learn to stay calm during most nights if you combine “ignore the zoomies” with “reward calm behavior” by combining both techniques.
Prioritize daytime physical activities.
Ensure your dog has a regular exercise and playtime routine, and invest in mentally stimulating toys for him.
Consider hiring a pet sitter or dog walker if you often have a busy daytime schedule.
Could you make use of their crate?
Consider crate training your dog a few minutes before bedtime and ensure that they have their favorite chew toys inside the compartment.
Instead of running around and releasing pent-up energy, chewing is an excellent way for dogs to relax and release pent-up energy.
Be mindful of feeding time.
Ensure that your dog’s feeding time in the evening stays within a few minutes of bedtime.
How do you calm down a hyper dog?
If you want to get them to behave peacefully, you can ignore them as they run around wildly and reward them when they finally settle down. You can find a detailed guide on how to do that by clicking here.
Ignoring them for a short period will make them less likely to prolong their hyper session, and rewarding them will make them behave more calmly in the future.
Conclusion
When you least expect it, it happens often when you are in the middle of a quiet night.
A moment ago, your dog was relaxing in their favorite spot, minding their own business, minding their own business. Suddenly, they go from zero to a hundred — running hilariously at top speed, looking as if they’re in possession as they run at top speed and as if they’re full of energy.
Every dog parent has experienced at least one instance when their dog goes hyper at night. As a result, you can rest assured that it is normal behavior for your dog.
A sudden burst of energy can occur in any dog at any time during the night, regardless of their size, age, or maturity. Most kids will likely grow out of it, but if they don’t, you might need to adjust based on the points I’ve raised above to accommodate them.
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