Sundowning in Dogs: Why Your Dog Is Restless at Night, and How to Help
If your senior dog paces, pants, whines, or just cannot settle once the sun goes down, that is often sundowning. It is the night-time face of dog dementia, where the confusion and anxiety of canine cognitive dysfunction get worse in the evening and overnight. For most families it is the hardest part of the whole disease, because it steals everyone’s sleep, the dog’s and yours, and there is support for you, too.
Quick answer
Sundowning is the evening or overnight worsening of confusion, anxiety, pacing, panting, whining, or restlessness in a dog with cognitive dysfunction. It is common in senior dogs with dementia, but pain, urinary problems, heart or breathing disease, Cushing’s disease, and anxiety can look similar. If the nights are suddenly worse, do not assume it is only dementia.
The good news is that sundowning responds to a handful of practical changes, and your vet has real tools to help. Here is what it is, why it happens, and a night-care plan you can start tonight.
What is sundowning in dogs?
Sundowning is a pattern of increased confusion, restlessness, and anxiety in the late afternoon, evening, and overnight. The term comes from human dementia, where patients often get more agitated as the day ends, and it fits what we see in dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction. During the day your dog might seem mostly fine. After dark, the wheels come off: pacing, panting, vocalizing, and an inability to rest.
It is not your dog being difficult. It is a brain that is having its hardest time when the light and the structure of the day disappear.
What sundowning looks like
Most owners describe some mix of these, starting in the evening and running into the night:
- Pacing and wandering, often the same loop, over and over
- Panting or restlessness with no heat or exercise to explain it
- Whining, barking, or howling, sometimes at nothing you can see
- Staring at walls or getting stuck in corners and behind furniture
- Unable to get comfortable, up and down, circling the bed
- Sleeping hard all day, then wide awake at 2 a.m.
If the main thing you are seeing is pacing, we go deep on just that here: why is my dog pacing?
Why it happens
A few things stack up at night. Canine cognitive dysfunction damages the brain’s sleep-wake cycle, so the normal “day is for being awake, night is for sleeping” rhythm breaks down. Aging also affects melatonin and the body’s other sleep signals, the cues that tell your dog it is night. And disorientation gets worse in the dark, when the visual cues a dog uses to feel oriented are gone, which is doubly hard for the many senior dogs who also have failing vision. Put together, the evening becomes the scariest, most confusing part of your dog’s day.
First, rule out the other reasons a senior dog is up at night
Before you chalk it all up to dementia, know that several other things keep old dogs awake, and most are treatable. Pain from arthritis is the big one, and the most often missed: a dog who cannot get comfortable may be sore, not just confused, and sometimes treating that pain quiets the nights more than anything else. Here is how the common causes sort out, and what each one points to.
| Why a senior dog is up at night | Clues that point to it | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Sundowning (dog dementia) | Confusion, pacing, panting, and vocalizing that peak after dark; mostly settled by day; other DISHAA signs alongside it | The night-care plan below, plus vet-directed sleep and anxiety help |
| Arthritis or other pain | Cannot get comfortable, shifts and repositions, stiff or slow getting up, hesitates on stairs | Vet pain control; this often quiets the nights more than anything else |
| Full bladder or urinary infection | Gets up to urinate, asks to go out, may strain or have indoor accidents | Vet check for infection; adjust evening water timing and a late last potty trip |
| Excess thirst (kidney disease, diabetes) | Drinking a lot, large urine volume, changes in weight or appetite | Vet bloodwork to find and treat the underlying condition |
| Vision or hearing loss | Startles easily, bumps into things, clearly worse in the dark | Nightlight, keep furniture in the same places, vet eye and ear check |
| Hunger (dinner too early) | Settles after a small bedtime snack | A small late snack; ask your vet about meal timing |
Treating the right problem matters, and more than one can be true at once. So loop in your vet rather than assuming it is “just dementia.”
Call an emergency vet now if the night restlessness is sudden or severe, or comes with trouble breathing, collapse, a seizure-like episode, repeated vomiting, a swollen or painful belly, inability to urinate, severe pain, sudden weakness, sudden blindness, or confusion that appears over hours rather than weeks. Sundowning usually builds gradually; a fast change needs prompt care.
The night-care plan
This is the part that helps. You will not need all of it, but combining several works better than any one alone. Here is the whole plan at a glance, with the detail underneath.
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Lock in a routine | Same bedtime, same wind-down, same sleeping spot, every night | Predictability is calming for a confused brain |
| Leave a light on | A nightlight or low lamp where your dog sleeps | Cuts the disorientation that darkness adds, especially with fading vision |
| Safe, cozy sleep space | A confined, hazard-free area away from stairs; an orthopedic bed for achy dogs | Stops dangerous wandering; many dogs settle better enclosed |
| Tire them out by day | Sunlight, gentle play, and short walks; discourage long late-afternoon naps | Rebuilds a normal sleep drive so they are genuinely tired at bedtime |
| Manage the evening | Keep the last potty trip late; be sensible about a big drink right before bed | Fewer 2 a.m. wake-ups, without leaving them dehydrated |
| Calming aids | Anxiety wrap, dog-appeasing pheromone diffuser or collar, white noise, a worn t-shirt with your scent | Takes the edge off the anxiety |
| Vet-directed help | Melatonin (xylitol-free, at your vet’s dose), or medication like trazodone or gabapentin; ask your vet whether selegiline may help the clinical signs of cognitive dysfunction | Real tools for when the basics are not enough |
| Daytime cognitive support | A vet-formulated cognitive supplement as part of the daily routine | Supports healthy cognitive function (it is not a sedative or a cure) |
Lock in a routine
Same bedtime, same wind-down, same sleeping spot, every night. Predictability is calming for a confused brain. A short, calm evening walk and a settle-down ritual tell your dog the day is ending.
Leave a light on
A nightlight or low lamp where your dog sleeps. For a dog whose vision is fading, a little light cuts the disorientation that darkness adds.
Make a safe, cozy sleep space
A confined, comfortable, hazard-free area, a pen, a gated room, or a bed against a wall, so wandering cannot lead to stairs or injury. Many dogs actually settle better when the space is smaller and enclosed. An orthopedic bed helps the achy ones.
Wear them out during the day
Daytime activity and daylight are your best tools for rebuilding a normal sleep drive. Get your dog outside in the sun, add gentle play and short walks, and discourage long late-afternoon naps when you can. A dog who is genuinely tired at bedtime sleeps better.
Manage the evening
Keep the last potty trip late. Be sensible about a big drink right before bed, you do not want them dehydrated, but a full bowl at 10 p.m. can mean a 2 a.m. wake-up. Your vet can help you find the right balance for your dog’s health.
Try calming aids
A snug anxiety wrap, a dog-appeasing pheromone diffuser or collar, soft white noise or quiet music, and a worn t-shirt with your scent in the bed can all take the edge off the anxiety.
Ask your vet about sleep and anxiety help
When the basics are not enough, your vet has options: melatonin (commonly used, but get the dose and a xylitol-free product from your vet), or medications like trazodone or gabapentin for night-time anxiety and sleep. Selegiline may help some dogs with the clinical signs of cognitive dysfunction. Never give human sleep or anxiety medication without your vet, some are toxic to dogs.
Support cognitive function during the day
Keeping the brain supported is part of the longer game. Dr. Fossum’s CogniCaps is a cognitive support supplement formulated by a board-certified veterinary neurologist. To be clear about what it is: it is not a sedative and not a treatment for dementia. It is formulated to support healthy cognitive function as part of a broader daily routine. Ask your vet whether it fits your dog.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Be kind to yourself, too
Sundowning is exhausting. Weeks of broken sleep wear you down, and it is normal to feel frustrated and then guilty for feeling frustrated. You are not failing your dog. This is one of the hardest parts of caring for a senior dog, and needing help with it is not a weakness. Lean on your vet. If the nights have become severe and nothing is helping, it is also a fair and loving reason to have an honest quality-of-life conversation with your vet about what comes next. We wrote about that, gently, here: when it is time.
Tonight
- Keep the room dim but not dark, with a familiar sleeping spot and good footing.
- Offer a final potty break before bed.
- Keep water accessible unless your vet says otherwise.
- Block stairs and tight spots where your dog could get stuck.
- Take a short video of the night-time behavior.
- Call your vet if the pattern repeats or worsens.
References and further reading
- 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats: Managing Cognitive Dysfunction and Behavioral Anxiety. American Animal Hospital Association. (The veterinary basis for the night-time options here: melatonin, trazodone, gabapentin, and selegiline, plus the routine and environment changes.)
- Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center. Cognitive dysfunction in senior dogs. (Background on the disrupted sleep-wake cycle and the disorientation behind sundowning.)
Frequently asked questions
Why is my dog pacing and panting at night?
In a senior dog, night pacing and panting are classic signs of sundowning, the evening and overnight worsening of dog dementia. The disrupted sleep-wake cycle and disorientation peak after dark. It can also come from pain (especially arthritis), a full bladder, excess thirst, or vision loss, so have your vet check before assuming it is only dementia.
What is sundowning in dogs?
Sundowning is increased confusion, restlessness, and anxiety in the late afternoon and night, seen in dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction. The name comes from human dementia. Dogs may pace, pant, vocalize, stare at walls, and be unable to settle, then sleep through the day.
How do I calm my dog with dementia at night?
Lock in a consistent bedtime routine, leave a nightlight on, set up a safe and cozy enclosed sleep space, and tire your dog out with daytime activity and sunlight. Calming aids like an anxiety wrap, pheromones, and white noise help. If that is not enough, ask your vet about melatonin or anti-anxiety medication, and whether selegiline may help the clinical signs of cognitive dysfunction.
Does melatonin help dogs with dementia sleep?
Melatonin is commonly used to help senior dogs settle at night, as sleep and melatonin signaling change with age. It can help, but get the correct dose and a xylitol-free product from your vet first, and use it as part of a broader night-care plan rather than on its own.
Should I let my dog with dementia sleep in my room?
Often yes. Many dogs with dementia settle better when they are near you and can hear and smell that you are there, because it lowers their anxiety. A bed on your floor, or a safe enclosed space in your room, can mean calmer nights for both of you. Do what keeps your dog calm and safe.
Why is my old dog barking or whining at night?
New night-time barking, whining, or howling in a senior dog often comes from sundowning: the anxiety and disorientation of dog dementia peaking after dark. It can also signal pain, hearing loss, or a need to go out, so rule those out with your vet. The night-care plan above (routine, nightlight, safe sleep space, daytime activity, and vet-directed help when needed) usually quiets it.
Why does my senior dog stare at walls or get stuck in corners at night?
Wall-staring and getting “stuck” in corners are disorientation signs of dog dementia, and they often get worse at night when the dark removes the cues your dog uses to navigate. It is worth a vet visit to confirm canine cognitive dysfunction and rule out other causes.
This guide is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or care. If you are worried about your dog, talk to your veterinarian.