Is your French Bulldog sleeping a lot in your opinion? Perhaps you are concerned if this is normal behavior for this breed of dog? It is a perfectly normal question to ask and I definitely researched this when my Frenchie was a puppy.
Since French Bulldogs aren’t really considered to be outside dogs and are best suited for indoor living they tend to be very comfortable curling up on your couch and taking multiple naps throughout the day.
But have you ever wondered if all this sleeping French bulldogs do is normal? Let’s dig in and I’ll share my thoughts and what I have discovered.
French Bulldogs’ Sleep Patterns Are Different Than Humans
An important thing to know about the sleeping behaviors of your little French Bulldog. Their sleeping patterns closely mimic our own, but differ in some important ways. When entering their sleep phase, French Bulldogs can take about 10 minutes or more to transition from the slow wave where their breathing slows, their blood pressure decreases, and their heart rate lowers.
This is part of the process of your four-legged friend entering into rapid eye movement (known as REM sleep). In the REM sleep phase, you may notice your French Bulldog’s eyes rolling under closed his lids. Sometimes my Frenchie has his eyes slightly open which creeps me out. I often see my Frenchie running or playing in his dreams and his little legs kick like they are running.
French Bulldogs Need More Sleep Than You or I Do
Your Frenchie may have fits and bursts of sleep repeatedly throughout the day. French Bulldogs may only spend about 10 percent of their snoozing time in REM because of their irregular sleep patterns. Since they tend to doze off whenever they want, often out of boredom, they also wake up quickly and jump to alertness. As a result, your French Bulldog needs more total sleep to compensate for their diminished REM. Make sense? This chart breaks its down nicely:
Source: https://www.sleephelp.org
To put this in perspective, you or I spend close to 25 percent of sleep in REM, which is why our typical schedule of staying awake all day and catching up on sleep through the night.
So How Much Do French Bulldogs Sleep?
Do you think your French Bulldog is sleeping too much? Don’t make your decision just yet. Did you know that most fully-grown adults sleep around 14-16 hours a day? Crazy right!? French Bulldog puppies require even more sleep, sometimes sleeping as 18-20 hours per day! Older Frenchies can also sleep as much as their younger counterparts.
The average French Bulldog spends about half of their day sleeping. Pretty impressive. They only are awake for about 30% of their day. As you have likely noticed, they are active in short bursts of activity and then go back to resting. Life is hard for a French Bulldog. 🙂
Pro Sleep Tip For Your French Bulldog Puppy: It is a very good idea to keep your French Bulldog puppy and even a French Bulldog rescue dog on a set sleep schedule to establish good sleeping habits. Check out my article on crate training and picking the right crate here to assist with setting a good sleep schedule. I have personally found having a set sleep schedule helps to stem some behavior problems and helps with training.
Does my French Bulldog sleep too much? What You Need To Know About French Bulldog Sleeping Habits…
It’s typical for a new French bulldog owner to wonder if their dog’s sleeping habits are normal. Fear not my fellow French Bulldog owner it is perfectly natural. As I mentioned above, these little bundles of joy require ample amounts of down time. It is very unlikely you have anything to worry about with your Frenchie sleeping as much as they do. I think it is still a good idea to keep an eye on your Frenchie’s sleeping patterns to be sure.
French Bulldog Sleeping Habits Wrap Up
You need sleep, I need sleep, and your French Bulldog needs even more sleep to stay happy and healthy. It is perfectly natural for your French Bulldog to be sleeping the majority of every day. Due to how they get into REM sleep it is very normal and nothing to worry about.
One thing to note, if you think your French Bulldog is sleeping too much or appears to be suffering from very low energy levels it’s always best to mention it to your dog’s vet and get their expert insights.
PS – I invite you to read more about French Bulldog Health here.
