Sundowner Syndrome in Dogs - How to Manage Night Time Anxiety and Restlessness
Symptoms of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD)
- Increased, excessive, or unusual vocalizations.
- Pacing and restlessness.
- "Spacing out" and staring at walls, or at nothing.
- Less interested in interacting with family (or with other pets).
- Increased (or more easily triggered) irritability or aggression.
- Decreased interest in activity - including playing, going for walks, or socializing.
- Confusion or disorientation (for example, waiting at the wrong side of the door to go outside).
- Housebreaking accidents.
- Changes in the sleep-wake cycle - sleeping more during the day, awake more at night.
- Increased or persistent anxiety.
Unfortunately, there's no definitive test to determine whether a dog has dementia. Vets rely on pet owners to observe and report the symptoms that they see in their dogs.
Symptoms of Sundowners in Dogs
Sundowning is considered a behavioral disorder that results from canine cognitive dysfunction. Signs of sundowning typically begin to show in the late afternoon or evening, as night approaches, and can continue throughout the night. Symptoms include:
- Restlessness and pacing, often back and forth along the same path.
- Barking or vocalizing for no apparent reason.
- Becoming more 'needy' or clingy, and needing reassurance.
- Increase in general anxiety. Dogs may constantly pant. This may or may not be accompanied by pacing.
- Inability to settle down and sleep. Dogs may try to settle but repeatedly get up to pace.
- An increase in irritability, sometimes even aggression.
How to Help a Dog With Sundowning Syndrome
Here are some things that can help who is suffering some sundowners syndrome. Every dog is different and you may need to try multiple things - or a combination of things - to find the best way to help keep your dog relaxed and calmer.
Eliminate Medical or Pain Issues
Pain is often worse at night. Dogs, particularly older dogs, might be experiencing pain from arthritis, for example. Other medical issues can also cause restlessness, which may be more noticeable at night because the house is quieter or because the pain is more intense at that time. It's a good idea to visit the vet to rule out the possibility of any pain issues that could be causing the restlessness. Sometimes treating underlying medical conditions can help to decrease or minimize sundowning behavior.
Your veterinarian can also discuss the symptoms your dog is showing and give an opinion on whether he believes your dog has canine cognitive dysfunction and is 'sundowning'.
Maintain a Regular Routine
Many dogs feel more secure with a routine. Feed at the same time, establish a regular time for walks, and go to bed at the same time every night. Anxious dogs can find this comforting and it will allow them to relax more readily.
Use Light
This is a method that sometimes helps with dogs who haven't yet lost their eyesight. Flooding the rooms with light can help to eliminate any spooky shadows or indistinct objects that might be frightening to pets.
During the day, take advantage of the natural light. Open up blinds in all parts of the home that your dog visits. As natural daylight fades, start turning on lights throughout the house (LED light bulbs are perfect for this - they save significant amounts of energy over the use of the normal incandescent bulbs, and they typically last much longer). Keep the lights on until bedtime, when lights can be turned off. If your dog noticeably gets more anxious or agitated when the lights are off, you may want to try putting him in his own room with the lights left on all night.
Some people use night lights to try and help dogs who seem anxious when darkness falls. This seems to help some dogs, but if your dog still seems anxious, try unplugging the night light so that it's totally dark. Sometimes even the glow from the tiny night light is enough to illuminate weird shadows or objects and scare the pet.
Use Sound to Try to Soothe Sundowning Dogs
Dogs who are losing their hearing may become more sound-sensitive. Sounds that they can't readily identify may be scary to them. Playing background music can help to lessen anxiety in some dogs. Classical music is a good choice, or you can purchase various pre-loaded calming music for dogs.
Some pets respond to "talking". Turning on the radio or the TV sometimes helps.
Fans and White Noise Machines Help With Anxiety
Many dog owners have reported that the use of a fan can help dogs settle. It's thought that the repetitive white-noise rhythm of the fan can help to ease anxiety. Some dogs may enjoy having the air blown on or around them (especially on hot days!), while others do not. An adjustable fan with several power levels gives the most flexibility.
A white noise machine is another option, if you don't want the increased air circulation from a fan.
Do Something Relaxing
Just before the sundowning behavior begins in the evenings, try a pleasant and soothing activity to help relax your dog. For example, gently brush a dog who enjoys being groomed, or give your dog a little massage.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a naturally-occuring hormone that can help to reduce anxiety in dogs as well as promote a more natural sleep-wake cycle. In general, dogs who are less than 25 lbs can get 3 mg every evening, while larger dogs can take 6 mg. Give the pill one hour before bedtime.
Make sure to only use pure melatonin, not one that's mixed with other substances (like xylitol, which is toxic to dogs). If in doubt, buy melatonin that has been specifically made for dogs.
Use an Anti-Anxiety Wrap
The best-known anti-anxiety wrap is the ThunderShirt. The Thundershirt uses gentle, constant pressure to calm anxious dogs. It has helped many dogs tremendously (as the name suggests, many people use it to calm dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms). It doesn't work on every dog, however it's an easy, drug-free way that has a good chance of helping. Put it on about an hour bedfore bedtime. Dogs can comfortably sleep while wearing it.
Exercise
Some dogs respond well to extra exercise as a means of alleviating some anxiety. Take a late afternoon walk or engage in some play time (if your dog still enjoys it). Be sure to tailor this exercise time to your dog's abilities. Older dogs with arthritis or mobility issues will need shorter, gentler walks.
Confinement
Dogs may find their crates comforting when they are feeling anxious. Make sure the crate is lined with comfortable bedding, there is water available, and the crate is big enough for your dog to fully stand-up, turn around, and comfortably lie down.
Dogs who aren't crate-trained can be confined to a room with a comfortable bed and drinking water. If your pet is accustomed to sleeping in the same room as you, you could simply close the bedroom door and see if that helps.
Being crated or confined can actually increase anxiety in some dogs, so be sure to monitor your pet carefully.
Ask Your Vet About Medication
If the pacing and restlessness is extreme, or none of the other methods help, it may be time to consider medication. Talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety meds or Anipryl, a drug that's used to treat dementia in dogs. Anipryl doesn't work for all dogs and for those that it helps, it appears to have a limited time span in which it helps. It's still worth a discussion if your dog appears to be stressed or anxious.
Stick With a Routine
Having a consistent, reliable evening routine lets your dog know what to expect. Don't change things up unless you absolutely need to, as changes in routine can upset your dog's sense of security and increase his anxiety.
Long-Term Management
Dealing with sundowner syndome in dogs can be frustrating (especially when you're exhausted from lack of sleep!) but remember, despite the sundowning, your dog is still the same dog you've always loved. Be patient, be gentle, and understand that he isn't behaving this way on purpose. It can take time and some help from your veterinarian to figure out what method, or combination of methods, works best to help minimize the symptoms and allow your dog - and you! - to get some rest. Be sure to take good care of yourself while taking good care of your dog, as caregiver burnout can become an issue. Patience, understanding, and plenty of love will help to reassure your dog that he's still an important part of your family. There will come a time when you will have to decide when it is appropriate to give your pet a peaceful passing.
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Comments (28)
:sad : I now realize what my sweet girl was going through the past few years of her life. I just had her euthanized last week and it's been awful. I miss her so much and am focusing on mistakes I made and what I "could have" done. She was a large Akita of 14 years, 11 months. It became so difficult to care for her that I finally made the decision to help her to the Rainbow Bridge.
I was exhausted. I had not had a restful night's sleep in what seems like 6 months. I tried everything I could think of to get her settled before bedtime, but the moment I'd leave she'd be awake for most of the night, banging around and struggling, keeping me awake and ultimately checking on her, then she'd sleep all day, save for eating and drinking some water. She had neuropathy and was falling down, and it had progressed to the point she couldn't stand and eat anymore, and I had to lift and carry her often. It took its toll on both of us.
These comments make me feel not alone. My Marley is a very senior dog with sundowners. This week it has gotten worse. She starts crying around 4 p.m and I give her trazadone prescribed by the vet. I give her another one before bed. It helps a little but mostly what works is me sitting right next to her. She doesn't want me out of her sight. I wake up every time she wanders, which is a couple times, for a couple hours every night. She doesn't whine while she walks. I let her out at least twice overnight, she sometimes just wanders around the yard while I stand, half asleep and call her back. I'm exhausted but she's my best friend and has given a lifetime of love and support and I'm doing the same for her.
My 12 1/2 year old basset wants water all the time. He will drink a 2.5 gallon of water all day. He gets me up 4 times a night for water and i let him out. Why is he requiring so much water?
Hi Janis, your veterinarian can do some testing in order to diagnose why your dog is drinking so much. There are lots of medical conditions that can cause an increase in drinking (eg. diabetes, kidney disease, Cushings, others too) - only your vet will be able to tell you. Good luck, hope your dog feels better soon.
My 15-year-old dog has had dementia and sundowner's symptoms for a couple of years now. He would get very anxious at night and pace around the room for hours. I tried so many things until I finally found what helps him sleep at night....I give him Alprazolam (Xanax) prescribed by the vet a couple of hours before bed time and then I give him melatonin about 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. I started at low doses and have gradually increased the dose as he builds up a tolerance. It calms him down so he can sleep and I can sleep too!! I also put fish oil in his food to help with the dementia and his skin and joints.
I am in the same situation with my 16 year old Rottie/Lab mix. It’s maddening. I’m exhausted and broke from trying to help him. I hate that I sometimes get frustrated and almost angry at such a loving creature who has loved me unconditionally for so many years. I try to remember how much he has given me, but it’s hard to do at 5am when the morning news is coming on not a wink of sleep has been had. I’ve even considered looking for an animal communicator to see what is going on in head and find out how I can fix it (yeah, I’m that desperate).
I’m grateful to have found this website and to know I’m not alone.
My 15+ border collie has sundowners syndrome. He also has severe hip problems and is quite tippy. We have a k-9 cart for him which works okay but we are in the midst of winter with lots of ice and snow. The cart just doesn't do well. We were given Trazadone and it made him so anxious and disoriented that I stopped it. We use CB oil and that helps some nights. I also use 3 mg of melatonin. I see that h could have 3 more as he weighs about 40 pounds. He starts yipping in the evening and it can go on for hours. I now sleep on the couch near his bed so he knows someone is there. I'm relieved to hear that so many people are dealing with this. It truly is exhausting, but I love my boy and will do whatever as long as he seems to want to be with us. It's a horrid disease, but it's probably horrible for the poor dogs too. Thanks for sharing your stories. It helps.
My dog has sundowners, we use CBD oil and she sleeps all night, only waking if we wake. There are side effects and thats the increased appetite, which can be annoying. There is no need to put a dog down with sundowners until they start defecating in the house, seizures etc or totally loses it. Be patient.
What kind of CBD oil do you give him question? I give My Dog a hemp. Treat with herbs for sleep and melatonin and he still gets up and paces and he defecates in the house but I would not put him down for that. I just pick it up and flush it.
Our 14 year old dachsund has become very aggressive in the evenings. If you try to get herto go outside or dosomething she doesnt want to, or you pet her wrong or accidently touch her on her back endshe start goes after us. Trying to bite and showing teeth, snapping and snarling,lunging. 95% of the time its my husband she goes after, during the daytime she loves him. She also has cushings disease. Any thoughts or ideas?? She has been thoroughly checked over and the only thing the vet offers is they wouldn't blame us if we put her to sleep.
We just love her so much!
I recently accepted to dog-sit my family's 13 year old beagle mix who exhibits most these symptoms. Today was day two of eight. The melatonin method seemed to make things worse, as she went to sleep (after pacing the house for five hours) but woke up less than one minute later to continue pacing. I finally, by stroke of intuition, led her back to bed and put gentle pressure on her shouldrrs to make her lay down. I kept my hand on her, applying gentle pressure, stroking with my thumb. She started to calm and finally shut her eyes. She's been in bed now for 10 minutes which I consider a huge victory. Just had to take the time to comfort her. I'm sure she was exhausted from pacing all day but didn't realize it. Poor girl. Good luck to all pet parents out there. I have a new perspective. These babies are just confused and helpless and in need of normality and comfort.
I wanted to let you know how much this information has helped me understand my 15 yr. old Pom especially concerning Sundowning Syndrome. Thank you so much.
We have a 13 year old lab with the same issue. We were instructed to give him one sammy pill (sam-e) 1 trazodone and purina or science diet for older dogs.
We have cut down to 1/2 a trazodone at night. Would like to change it to melatonin. Don't like the way he is on trazodone. It has lightened up. Went from 5-10 minutes a night to about 3-4.
My 15 yr old chi boy has started crying out at night randomly, he sleeps most of the day, and i know one day ill have to help him to the bridge, i had a 19 yr old chi who barked from sundown to sunup for a year before he left its heartbreaking,im starting cbd with him to help..
CBD/FECO is working wonders for my 13+ year old Chihuahua. He still paces, nips & bites but now I know what it is & when it starts each after noon & I just follow him around until he's calmed & eventually sleeps through the night.
I suspected my 12 yr old chocolate lab had sundowners when she started barking at what seems like imaginary things in front of her. She then gets up and gets a little crazy, walking around and seeming a little aggressive. I think I will try the Melatonin. She does have pain meds that I also could give her as I'm not sure if she's in pain, but barely can do the steps anymore. I won't give the two together, no worries! Thanks for the great info and verification that I'm not crazy!
We have a 12 year old Chinapoo exhibiting all of the signs of doggy dementia. It started abruptly at the end of family vaca where he had been around our new grandsons who were 4 and 3 months old. We’ve had help from the vet in that he prescribed Trazadone and a sleep medicine. They helped for a bit, but not lately. If he was only pacing at night we could deal with that. But he scratches at the bedroom door and it’s all you hear. We can’t keep him on the bed. He jumps down and goes right back to scratching the door. We have to keep the door shut because we have another dog who is handicapped and could fall down the steps if he gets out. The crate didn’t work. He went nuts in there. He’s even having a tough morning right now and can’t settle. We were awake most of last night and the night before. We do have a light on in the room. I’m going to try the Thundershirt and hope for the best. Does any one else have any ideas?
This was very helpful. Our German Shepherd will soon be 13 yrs old and knowing he can take melatonin was a relief! He seems anxious and definitely needs something for comfort.
He has been pacing and staring. He does take a pain meds but was was becoming more restless.
Very informative... I noticed this in my ageing dog... pacing, panting, staring and kept wanting to go outside and couldn’t settle....I have done all the things and they do work, but I eventually tried putting a fan near his bed... it seemed to calm him almost instantly.... it may work for others. Good Luck x
Thank you for validation and information about anxiety, sleep issues and subdowners in dogs. Our 13 year old cattle dog mix suffers from many of these symptoms, probably stemming from her bad legs and pain. Her vision and hearing have lessened as well. We have a massage therapist work on her weekly to help the pain and this seems to help during the day. It is terrible exhausting, especially when she paces at night and just walks around the backyard instead of doing her business. Thank you for the reminder that
She is still is the same dog. Some of us will exhibit these symptoms so paying it forward is a good idea! We will ty the lighting to see if it works for her. We did resort to clapping our hands to get her to get up and go out. This works beautifully!
Keep up he great advice and keep sharing ideas so people like us experiencing these tying times have somewhere to turn. Salt lamp idea is interesting too.....
My dog is 15 years old and we recognise this behaviour every evening now . There are periods where she is settled but a lot of the time she just doesn’t know what she wants and paces and pants constantly. This has only happened over the past year to year and a half. Such a shame really but thanks for the information.
As soon as my dog turned 15, I noticed changes. Recognizing sundowner's behavior from my mother, I immediately thought of it for my dog, but didn't realize it might be true. All the things mentioned are happening. And I had put on a nightlight, she is pretty the wrong side of the door, and she does turn around and just walls the sidewalk up and down. I feel anxious myself.
My dog has a bad leg and doesn't get around much any more and seems to be up all night and sleeps but mere minutes at a time. She wanders around aimlessly and has accidents because she cannot get up and do her business. It is very frustrating and sometimes I lose my temper and then I feel bad about that. My vet has been no help to me at all, suggesting an OTC medication called Senilife which seemed to have no effect. She suggested Trazadone which is a sedative that my dog took before she had her tie-back surgery when her airway was closed up from muscle atrophy. My dog is 16 or 17 years old and I am trying very hard to help her and most of the time she appears to be pretty lucid.
I know how frustrating this all is, but not the poor dog's fault. Please dont lose your temper as they dont understand why nor will it help - good luck - I understand as my doggie is 16 now and has dementia along with multiple other issues - but she is still happy, enjoys her walks and has a great appetite! So hard when this happens - hang in there and please be kind t your furry one - wont help losing your temper - go take a walk if you feel irritated which I understand happens
We knew we were dealing with dementia and did toss the term sundowners around as we are familiar with the characteristics in humans. When I read the article I was amazed that our 13 year old lab is exhibiting 90 % of the symptoms on a daily basis. We have tried lights at night, music, daytime extra outings and medication. We are exhausted and this article was helpful knowing we are on the right track in his care
Thank you. Last night's was the worst episode yet, and I needed this article. I'm also waiting for a call from his vet, who recently diagnosed him.
Thank you for such an informative article. We have a collie that's nearly 16 that has been exhibiting symptoms since losing his foster brother November 2017. This gives us a lot of ideas to try so that he and we can enjoy his twilight years. Glad to know that he's not spoiled! Well, he is, but we still love him anyway!
We have a 6 month old puppy that shows nearly all these symptoms. Can a puppy have this disorder?
Try a salt lamp instead of a night light, this has made all the difference in the world! Also he is on selegiline from the vet. Those two things have our boy back to us!
do you have the salt light on only at night? sounds like a plan to me. My dog just started this a couple months ago, just now figuring out what it is.
Such a helpful site. Great overview and information. Thanks!
Our baby, 14 has been barking for the last 6 months or a bit more! So darn frustrating! Finally looked this up and...yup! She has sundowners and pretty much blind. We will talk to our vet as what to do.
Love our old girl...but come on!
My neighbor has a 17 year old dog who is blind, pees all over the house, has a huge grapefruit size benign lump on her back and seems so sad. They refuse to put her to a quiet,beautiful little rest-passing. My 15 year old dog has heart murmur,enlarging heart and the dreaded trachea collapse with coughing. I’m spending thousands on her. Trying to get her to eat and take her pills is very hard at times. I have to stuff them down. She won’t stay in bed-sitting up awake in her bed in living room, I’m checking on her all night. I’m finding myself getting very angry at her, frustrated,sad and very tired. I have to work to pay her vet bills. I really want to put her to sleep,now,but I feel it’s selfish and mean of me. She has all the meds and I’m at the vets every week. I never,ever want another pet after she goes-it’s too much stress for me. Being alone,I deal with her by myself. I really don’t know what to do?
Best advice that we have researched concerning our dog's night time issues. It was informative, practical, and sympathetic.