A new puppy sleeps a lot - often 18 to 20 hours a day - but almost never when you want them to. The first weeks at home usually mean broken nights, and that is normal: sleeping through the night is a skill, not a switch.
The good news is that it is a teachable skill. The American Kennel Club's puppy sleep guidance makes the same point: young puppies need far more sleep than adult dogs, and a simple routine is what teaches them when to take it.
Set the night up during the day
What happens at 11pm starts at 11am. A puppy who gets age-appropriate play, short training moments and regular toilet trips through the day arrives at the evening ready to rest. Plan the day so active time is followed by quiet time, and let naps happen - an overtired puppy settles worse, not better.
Toward evening, wind things down: the last meal a few hours before bed with fresh water always available, a calm play or cuddle, then one last unhurried toilet trip right before the sleeping spot. A steady order - food, play, toilet, bed - becomes your puppy's cue that the day is over.
Make the sleeping spot feel safe
Pick one sleeping place and keep it. A crate or bed in your bedroom works well at first: your puppy hears and smells you nearby, and you will hear them if they genuinely need to go out. Line it with a soft, simple blanket, and keep the room dim and quiet - darkness and quiet are the signal that this is sleep, not a new game.
If your puppy came home with a blanket or toy that smells like their litter, keep it in the sleeping spot. Teach the place during the day too: a small treat for going in, calm praise for settling, so it predicts good things long before it has to last a whole night.
Keep night answers calm and boring
Young puppies usually still need at least one toilet trip at night - very young ones may need several. When yours wakes and genuinely needs out: no bright lights, no play, no excited voice. Walk them to the spot, praise quietly when they go, and straight back to bed. The message is simple - toilet needs are always answered, and nighttime is never a party.
Crying is a question, not a trick: check the needs first - toilet, water, comfort - then settle your puppy back with calm, brief, boring company. Never punish crying; your steady presence is what teaches the night is safe. With a steady routine the sleeping stretches grow longer on their own, night by night. Asking for more than a small puppy's body can hold never works; needing a little less every week does.
Where are your nights right now?
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Sources & care notes
Sources: American Kennel Club, "How Much Do Puppies Sleep?", https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/puppy-information/how-much-do-puppies-sleep/ . American Kennel Club, "Setting Schedules and Developing a Routine for Your New Puppy", https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/setting-schedules-and-developing-a-routine-for-your-new-puppy/ . PDSA, “Why Do Puppies Cry at Night?”, https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/vet-qa-why-do-puppies-cry-at-night . Blue Cross, “How to Get Your Puppy to Sleep Through the Night”, https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/behaviour-and-training/how-to-get-your-puppy-to-sleep-through-the-night .
If a puppy who used to settle well suddenly cannot sleep, or the change comes with other signs that something is off, a vet check comes before any routine changes.
