The pandemic may be throwing off your puppy's sleep, which can result in behavior issues

Shakespeare wrote of "sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care." While our pets might not have the cares we do (paying the mortgage, staying safe during a pandemic), sleep is as important to their mental and physical well-being as it is to us.

The amount and quality of sleep dogs get affects memory, learning and activity level.

Dog trainer Denise Nord in Rogers, Minn., said she's seeing more young dogs suffering from lack of sleep — and an increase in behavior problems — in the past year.

She's convinced that with people spending more time at home, puppies aren't getting enough sleep.

"People are home, so puppies are awake," she said. "Or they just crash wherever and aren't getting quality sleep," said Nord. "When I convince people to get their puppy quality sleep for 16 to 18 hours out of every 24, so many behavior issues 'magically' disappear."

Like toddlers, puppies need a lot of sleep to fuel their growth. Nord says teaching puppies to be quiet and comfortable in crates and exercise pens is a skill they will benefit from throughout their lives.

"Without exception, everyone who has taken the suggestion of more sleep for their puppy has had great improvement in behavior issues and are much happier with their puppies," she says.

Sharon Hawkins' cavalier King Charles spaniel Daisy has set times that she sleeps and plays, and she uses different dog beds at different times of the day. Adam Conn's Bernese mountain dog, Digit, who gets a biscuit at bedtime, usually starts to remind Conn about the treat an hour or so before his normal bedtime.

"He really wants that cookie!" Conn says.

Sleep is also a balm to pets in pain.

"In acute pain, there are many studies showing that rest can improve rates of healing," says Dr. Michael Petty, an expert in pet pain management and owner of Arbor Pointe Veterinary Hospital and Animal Pain Center in Canton, Mich.

When pets don't seem to be sleeping well, owners should ask whether pain may be at the root of disruptions in sleep patterns, he says. Other issues can cause sleep disruptions, but pain should be ruled out first as a potential cause.

Circling before lying down and going to sleep is a common and normal behavior in dogs and cats, but it looks different in pets who are in pain. For instance, you may see the circling behavior with several false starts before the pet lies down. Arthritic dogs often just fall into a down position because it hurts too much to ease themselves down, Petty says.

Finally, you may notice the mental effects of chronic pain on sleep behavior. Pain can affect cognition and make pets in pain seem befuddled.

"I see this as an additional problem as night approaches," Petty says. "These patients often seem confused and want to wander the house. Pain can exacerbate this 'sundown' syndrome, and treating pain can help improve the severity of signs."