Help Needed! Restless Bulldog Syndrome - My Bully refuses to sleep at night

Bulldozersma

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I was hoping to get some advice from all the other Bully parents out there, my bulldog Rampage will be five next month, he sleeps the majority of the day while I work and at night when I get home. The issue comes around bed time, he usually sleeps on the bed with me (HUGE bed hog) and he will move around quite a bit. If/when he needs to go out he will wake me and I'll take him out on his leash and we go back to bed. The last few weeks he was been constantly waking me - about every two hours and he has taken to nibbling on my ear to wake me up, which can be scarey if I am in a deep sleep. Once I drag my tired butt out of bed to take him out, he just barks at the lightpole and then trots back in the house. I control his water after 8 pm so he normally only has to "go" once a night and then again in the morning. I've had bulldogs before but never one that seemed to have issues sleeping at night. We are going for walks at night to try to tucker him out and he just had a vet check up so I don't believe it's a health issue. My vet has a theory that I may be snoring due to allergies and he's waking me up - how ironic would that be if my bulldog is waking ME up because of a snoring sound?????

Has anyone out there faced the same issue, and if so, how did you remedy it? I was so tired this morning I almost called into work just to sleep when Rampage is napping during the day.

Thanks so much for any advice.
 

ModernFemme

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My bully can be restless during the day, but no issues sleeping. Do you crate at all during the day? We put Remi in his crate at night, and he sleeps the entire night this way. Remi would get into wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much mischief at night.
 
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Bulldozersma

Bulldozersma

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Thanks so much for responding ModernFemme!! Rampage doesn't get crated during the day but he is restricted to staying downstairs. I know he sleeps all day because I've walked in and out of the house mid-day and he won't even wake up sometimes. :) I have tried and tried to crate him at night but he does this pathetic wimpy "hurt puppy" cry until I let him out. I do keep his crate in my bedroom, and he will calm down for a little while and then if I shift or move at night, he starts up again. I may need to go back to the crating because the other night, when the ear nibbling and barking didn't seem to wake me up - he peed on my bed and then just moved to the foot of the bed to sleep.
 

izstigspunks

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My Stiggy is a restless sleeper too. And he has a bad habit of stepping on me when he moves around the bed every couple of hours. But I don't really mind it ... not at this point anyways. The only times he's not restless are when he spent the day at doggy daycare .... a tired dog is a happy dog right? :)

In your situation, since you "really" need your sleep, I have to suggest that the crate may be the best for him. Who knows, maybe he'll be more comfortable and relaxed as well!
 
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TandVsMom

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My Max is restless at night if I don't take him on an evening walk. BUT, if we go for a 15 to 20 minute walk right before bed, he is out all night.
 
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Bulldozersma

Bulldozersma

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Thank you Savemejeebus!!! Maybe that is one of the keys - I'll just have to exhaust the dog. Now that the weather is nicer, I'll try really extending our walks to see if that will help him out. He's such a sweet Mama's boy that I'd do anything for him but going on 3 weeks of less than 4 hours of sleep a night is giving me flashbacks to having an infant in the house.



egghunt2.gif
 
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cali baker

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I agree, get as much exercise as possible in for Rampage. My boy Finn can be a restless sleeper too. He will wake up after a couple hours and start walking in bed, towards my head and he steps on my hair and of course that wakes me up. I do notice when he doesn't get a walk in for that day, he is more inclined to be restless. I hope the extra exercise will help in your situation.

The other thing that popped in my mind was what time is his last meal of the day? I'm wondering if maybe he's hungry and if you gave him a small snack that would help. On the other hand, i've read that giving food to late at night or b4 bedtime may not be a good idea either and cause wakefulness.
I think you just have to monitor and test things out. Let us know how it goes!
 

2BullyMama

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Banks isn't restless, per say, but if we do not get enough energy/play time befor bed... she does tend to wake up around 1-2 AM and sit in the middle of the bed staring/whining at us until one of us wakes up -- no potty breaks, we just tell her to lay down (firm down) it is 'night'night' time. She huffs and goes back to sleep... but our sleep is interrupted. Any way --- a good amount (15-20 mins) of expelling of energy each night should help you get a full night sleep.

GOOD LUCK!
 
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Bulldozersma

Bulldozersma

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Thank you all so much!!!! I'm looking at purchasing a new wagon today so we can walk longer and I won't have to carry the little tank home!! Now that Spring is springing, he loves to go to the stream and bark at the fish!! Hopefully this will be an easy solution and the exercise will help me lose my "winter coat" too!!!
 

michelle23093

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my newly rescued bullie is very restless. she is always on the go during the day and takes very short naps but when she does she snores uncontrollably. I was letting her sleep in the bed and they she decided to pee in the bed. why I don't know considering she peed right before we went to bed. She moves and snores and farts all night. I haven't have any sleep in 3 weeks. we are gonna put her in a n exercise pen in my room ( in bathroom where if she pees its easy to clean up) toight and see if that works for us. I own my own daycare and I ned my sleep and I haven't have any in weeks. its like being up with a newborn and my youngest is 6 now. its been a while LOL. hope your issue has resolved
 

Bizzymammabee

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Jan 12, 2012
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Raven was a very restless sleeper when we allowed her on the bed with us. I guess she would get too hot or just want to move to a different spot. She sleeps much better if I put her in the crate or let her sleep on a doggy bed next to us. Give it a shot. Honestly though at 5 months I wouldn't trust him to sleep out of the crate. Too easy for you to be in a deep sleep and have him get up and make mischief. Good luck. That would really be funny if he were waking you up because you were snoring too loud, God knows these little stinkers can snore the house down.
 
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Bulldozersma

Bulldozersma

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Frank "The Tank", Bocephus Watasha Ledoux, Rampage Jackson (RIP) Bulldozer (RIP)
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Thank you all so much, Rampage will actually be 5 years next month. We've been exercising and going for longer walks at night - and I've been putting him in his kennel in my bedroom at night - he's up to sleeping for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours straight now, I always have to get up and let him out though. I know I should be tough but he makes the worst - I'm suffering cries and actually presses his face right up against the kennel walls (which are open metal) and breathes like he is not getting enough oxygen.
I'm working on keeping him in there for longer periods of time. He has gone back to occasionally peeing on the bed now though - little stinker.
 

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