OldieA senior who paces, whines or wants out at three in the morning is describing a change, not misbehaving. Sleep-wake disturbance is one of the six recognised sign groups of cognitive dysfunction1. In a survey of 205 guardians of dogs aged eight and over, poorer sleep, more night-time toileting and a tendency to be most unsettled between about two and five in the morning tracked with worsening cognitive scores2. Sleep recordings in senior dogs show that those with higher dementia scores spend less time in deep and REM sleep and sleep more lightly3.
Pain, a full bladder, thirst from kidney or hormonal disease, and hearing or vision loss can all cause the same restlessness, so night waking is worth a vet visit rather than a guess1. A consistent evening routine, a last toilet trip, a night light for a dog with poor vision, and daytime activity that earns tiredness all help. The vet may add medication or a diet change if cognitive dysfunction is the cause1.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Your vet knows your dog.
Sources
- Cognitive dysfunction syndrome: a disease of canine and feline brain aging (Landsberg GM, Nichol J, Araujo JA). Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 42(4):749-768, 2012 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- Sleep-wake disturbance in canine cognitive dysfunction: guardian-reported patterns and a practical screening tool (Taylor TL, Tuke J, Hazel SJ). The Veterinary Journal, article 106817, 2026 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- Sleep and cognition in aging dogs. A polysomnographic study (Mondino A et al.). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10:1151266, 2023 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.