Whilst we humans suffer from bouts of insomnia, we are not the only ones to do so. Pets get insomnia too!

If your pet is not keeping you awake at night though, you may never even know that he is suffering from lack of sleep. Not being able to tell you about his insomnia makes it difficult for your pet.

Insomnia in your pet can be caused by similar things that cause your insomnia.Something may be bothering him and hence prevents him from sleeping.

Both dogs and cats are very tuned in to what is happening around the house and also with their owners. Any construction work on your home can adversely affect the sleep pattern of your pet as can a visitor staying in your home. If you and your partner argue or fight a lot this also can have adverse effects on the sleeping pattern of your pet.

Other things that might prevent your pet from getting a good nights sleep are his health. If your pet is unwell, or uncomfortable then he will not sleep well. Look out for signs of either fleas or even allergies that will disrupt his sleep pattern.

If your pet is scratching a lot more than usual, then this might indicate fleas and no pet will be able to sleep soundly if they are constantly itching and scratching.

Perhaps your pet needs to go to the toilet more than normal, this also might indicate that there is a problem that needs investigating.

Something else to consider is that your pet may have the onset of arthritis. This is common in dogs and will often affect their hip joints making it very difficult to get a good nights sleep because of the discomfort.

If you notice then that your pet is not able to sleep throughout the night, then the first course of action should be a visit to the vet for a check up and to eliminate possible causes of insomnia.

Should your pets sleep patterns be stress related, then the vet might offer something to ensure a better nights sleep.

Pets, in a lot of ways are like their human owners. A tummy ache at night will prevent your pet from sleeping well just as it will with humans.

Just like older people who require less sleep, older dogs also, do not need quite as much sleep as they did when they were younger.

Summing up, if you find that your dog is sleeping less than he used to, don't leave it for too long before you take him along to the vet for a check up. There could be something medically wrong with your pet and while you can do your best at home to ensure that your pet gets a good nights sleep, you can, in all honesty, only do so much.