Week 4 How to get your puppy to sleep at night

This post is part of our Bringing Home Your New Puppy: What to Expect series.

Jump to any chapter:

Week 1: First-Time Pet Parent Guide
Week 2: Health & Wellness Essentials: Puppy Vaccinations
Week 3: Preparing for Training
Week 4: Puppy Sleep Troubles (you are here)
Week 5: Nutrition & Growth
Week 6: Behavioural Challenges
Week 7: Socialisation Checklist

Let’s be honest with each other: those first few nights with a new puppy can be rough.

The crying. The whimpering. The 3am trips outside. The lying awake wondering if this is just how life is now.

It isn’t. It gets better, we promise. But there are things you can do right now to help your puppy settle faster, sleep longer, and turn those chaotic nights into something a little closer to a routine.

In this article:

• Why is your puppy crying at night?
• Setting up the perfect sleep space
• Building a bedtime routine
• What to do when the crying starts
• How much sleep does a puppy actually need?
• When will it get easier?
• Quick wins: Things to try tonight
• What’s next?

First: Why is your puppy crying at night?

Understanding the ‘why’ makes it much easier to handle.

Your puppy has just left the only world they’ve ever known. They’ve slept in a pile with their mum and siblings every single night of their short life — warm, safe, and surrounded by familiar smells and sounds. Now, suddenly, they’re alone in a new place and they have no idea why.

The crying isn’t naughtiness. It’s your puppy communicating that they’re scared and unsure. The goal is to help them feel safe enough to settle, not to teach them that crying is something to be ignored indefinitely.

Setting up the perfect sleep space

Where your puppy sleeps matters, both for their comfort and for building good long-term habits.

Choose the right spot

Your puppy’s sleep area should be warm, quiet, and draught-free. A crate or enclosed bed in a consistent location works really well, dogs are den animals and tend to feel more secure in a defined, cosy space.

Many people find it helpful to keep the crate in or near their bedroom in the early weeks. Your puppy can hear and smell you, which is reassuring, and you can respond quickly if they need a toilet trip without having to wake the whole house.

Make it feel like home

• Add a blanket or toy that came from the breeder, familiar smells are incredibly soothing
• Place an item of your worn clothing in the bed so your scent is there
• A covered crate (with a blanket draped over three sides) creates a cosy den feel
• A ticking clock wrapped in a blanket can mimic a heartbeat., some puppies find this really settling
• In colder weather, a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel (not too hot) can help

Building a bedtime routine

Puppies thrive on routine. A consistent wind-down process before bed helps signal to your puppy that sleep time is coming and makes settling much quicker over time.

A simple puppy bedtime routine:

• Last meal of the day 2–3 hours before bed
• Final toilet trip outside, wait until they go
• Short, calm play or gentle interaction (nothing too exciting)
• Into their sleep space with a treat and quiet praise
• Lights low, noise down, and goodnight

The key word here is calm. Rough play or lots of excitement right before bed makes it much harder for your puppy to switch off, just like it does for us.

What to do when the crying starts

This is the hard part. There’s no perfect answer, and what works varies from puppy to puppy. But here are some practical approaches:

Check the basics first

Before doing anything else, ask: do they need the toilet? Young puppies (especially under 12 weeks) genuinely cannot hold their bladder all night. If it’s been more than two hours since their last trip outside, a toilet break is probably the reason for the noise, not just anxiety.

Take them outside quietly, give them a chance to go, then settle them back down with minimal fuss. No play, no big hellos — just business and back to bed.

Gradual settling

If you’re confident they don’t need the toilet, try settling them without picking them up. A calm hand on their side, a quiet ‘shh’, or placing your hand near them so they can smell you can be enough to take the edge off the anxiety.

What about letting them cry it out?

Some trainers recommend it. Others don’t. The reality is that very young puppies (under 10–12 weeks) aren’t developmentally ready to self-settle for long periods, and extended crying can increase stress hormones in a way that’s counterproductive.

As your puppy gets older and more settled in their new home, their capacity to self-settle will grow naturally. For now, a gentle middle ground — checking in briefly without making it a big event — tends to work well.

How much sleep does a puppy actually need?

A lot. Puppies sleep up to 18 to 20 hours a day in the early weeks. That’s not a problem; it’s completely normal and essential for healthy development.

What you’re aiming for isn’t necessarily an unbroken 8-hour night (that might be weeks away yet). You’re aiming for a puppy who can settle when it’s time to sleep, and who gradually stretches those sleep periods longer as they grow.

Most puppies can sleep through the night without a toilet break from around 12–16 weeks — though this varies by breed and individual puppy.

When will it get easier?

Most puppy owners notice a real improvement by weeks two to three. The novelty of the new home starts to wear off, your puppy begins to recognise the routine, and the nighttime wake-ups become less frequent.

By 12–16 weeks, many puppies are sleeping through, or close to it.

Until then: be consistent, be patient, and be kind to yourself. You’re doing a great job, even when it doesn’t feel like it at 3am.

Quick wins: Things to try tonight

• Move the crate closer to your bed if you haven’t already
• Add something with your scent to their sleeping area
• Make sure the last toilet trip happens right before bed, not an hour before
• Cover three sides of the crate to create a den effect
• Keep everything calm in the 30 minutes before bed
• Try a white noise machine or quiet radio if your puppy seems unsettled by sudden sounds

What’s next?

Once your household is getting a little more sleep, it’s time to think about what you’re feeding your puppy and whether you’re getting it right. Week 5 covers everything you need to know about puppy nutrition and healthy growth.

This post is part of our Bringing Home Your New Puppy: What to Expect series.

Jump to any chapter:

Week 1: First-Time Pet Parent Guide
Week 2: Health & Wellness Essentials: Puppy Vaccinations
Week 3: Preparing for Training
Week 4: Puppy Sleep Troubles (you are here)
Week 5: Nutrition & Growth
Week 6: Behavioural Challenges