Sleeping Pills for Dogs Traveling

Traveling with your dog pooch is something many pet owners dream about. With the increasing number of flights, hotels, restaurants, and campsites that welcome pups, there’s never been a better time to travel with your furry friend.

If you’re planning on taking your pooch on a trip, proper planning will definitely make your time together enjoyable and stress-free. This is where calming options for dogs come in handy.

Like humans, some pups also experience travel sickness, allergies, sleep disorders, and other challenges. Such experiences can make your vacation unbearable. If your dog experiences such issues, discuss potential solutions with your veterinarian before the trip. The vet may prescribe sleeping medication.

Some of the best dog sleeping pills for traveling you can use include natural remedies like chamomile, CBD oil, melatonin, L-Theanine, and passionflower. You can also use prescription medication like trazodone and Benadryl. Let’s learn more about why your dog may experience sleep disorders and the sleeping pills and tips you can use to calm them.

Why Do Dogs Struggle to Sleep Sometimes?

Did you know that dogs should sleep for an average of between 10 and 14 hours a day? Yes, that’s true.

However, they tend to break this sleep up into several naps a day and a final extended sleep session during the night. Your dog may experience sleep disorders due to anxiety, lack of enough exercise, or underlying health conditions.

Sleep is important for pups as it enables them to process the day, rest, and grow or repair tissue.

As humans, when we don’t get enough sleep, it impacts our productivity and how we function the next day. Dogs suffer from sleep deficits as well. Using sleeping pills can help your dog get a good night's sleep and stay calm during your travels.

Some of the causes of sleep disorders in dogs include:

• Anxiety

• Lack of physical exercise

• Cognitive decline

Let’s learn more about these causes:

Anxiety

Some canine companions will not sleep at night because they feel anxious. The lack of sleep may result from separation anxiety, which causes some dogs to feel distressed because you are not close to them. You might need to train them to get them more comfortable in their own company.

Travel anxiety can also be a problem. Some dogs tend to have anxiety issues due to a change in environment. Some dogs are afraid of sensitive sounds from the plane or car. Others may have experienced motion sickness sometime in the past, which makes them anticipate bad emotions. Instead of enjoying the breeze and scenery, you may find them panting, pacing, whining, and drooling in fear of what will happen next.

Excitement

New puppies may also lack sleep due to excitement, especially when settling into their new homes and with their new owners. Studies show that younger dogs sleep less at night compared to older dogs. Therefore, you can view this as a normal behavior. However, it may have an effect when traveling as new pups tend not to be calm.

Younger pups also lack sleep because their brains tend to be busy processing information from the day. Puppies also have to wake up more frequently at night since they toilet more than mature dogs. However, try not to worry much since they will naturally develop a better sleeping cycle by around 4 months of age.

Safety and Physical Exercise

Your dog may experience a lack of sleep due to a lack of enough exercise or because of the environment in which they reside. If you're not ready to try sleeping pills or calming chews, you can try encouraging sleep and calm by giving your dog a comfortable bed, a safe place, and enough physical exercise. Such activities can make your dog calm when you’re traveling on your vacation.

Cognitive Decline

A decline in cognitive function is mostly experienced in older dogs. An older dog may start being more confused and experience difficulties sleeping. Older dogs tend to wake up more frequently during the night. These dogs also toilet repeatedly especially if they have an underlying health condition.

Underlying Health Conditions

Your dog may experience insomnia if they don’t get enough exercise during the day. Insomnia may also result from an underlying health condition causing pain or frequent potty breaks. Senior dogs with dementia also experience insomnia.

The Best Sleeping Pills for Dogs

Sleeping pills are things we use to help us get a good night’s sleep. However, dogs rarely need them. If your dog struggles to sleep, try talking to your vet. The vet may guide you on how to identify the cause and the measures, holistic solutions, or prescription medications you can use to solve it.

Let’s delve into the sleeping pills for dogs you can use, including natural options like CBD oil, chamomile, and melatonin, and prescription medications like Benadryl and trazodone.

Natural Sleeping Pills for Dogs

To help calm your dog, we recommend using organically made sleeping chews or pills. These pills are made using ingredients like chamomile, CBD oil, and melatonin. The pills are affordable and easy to find in health food stores.

Here are some of the sleeping pills we think will help improve your dog’s sleep and calm them when traveling:

• Chamomile

• CBD oil

• Melatonin

• L Theanine

• L Tryptophan

Chamomile

Chamomile is a herbal remedy that you can use in dogs to calm and relax them. Chamomile contains antioxidant properties and its calming effect may be beneficial for dogs experiencing stress and anxiety. As a result, dogs with sleep issues may get sleep support and support for overall health. Chamomile also contains omega-3 fatty acids that are known for their support for cognitive function.

You can give chamomile orally in the form of a sleeping pill, liquid, tea, or powder. Chamomile can also be given with or without food. However, some dogs may experience stomach upsets when given chamomile on an empty stomach. Do not give your dog too much chamomile as high doses may be toxic.

CBD Oil

CBD oil is a natural chemical substance extracted from the hemp plant. It is known and used among pet parents for its holistic benefits, including support for a healthy inflammatory response, brain function, and joint mobility and flexibility.

CBD is safe for dogs and contains low THC levels (less than 0.3%). THC is a cannabis component that contains psychoactive properties, which are toxic to dogs and can cause a “high”. The law requires that all CBD products, including chews or pills, must contain less than 0.3% THC.

CBD oil has calming properties that promote calm and relaxation for dogs. Aside from stress and anxiety, dogs may also experience sleep disorders due to cognitive dysfunction and hip and joint pain. Dogs experiencing pain can benefit from CBD oil since anecdotal evidence shows that it may support dogs with occasional discomfort.

CBD oil pills also contain other beneficial ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids are essential for your dog’s everyday health and healthy joints. Also, CBD oil may help support your dog’s cognitive function.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the brain’s pineal gland to regulate mood, reproduction, and sleep. It is one of the most natural techniques you can use to make your dog sleep. Just like humans, dogs produce melatonin naturally as a hormone regulating their sleep-wake cycles.

You can also give your dog melatonin to support their sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin may be beneficial for dogs who regularly experience stress, anxiety, phobias, and signs of cognitive decline. By promoting calm and relaxation, melatonin prevents disruptions in your dog’s sleep, thereby enabling them to sleep more.

L Theanine

L-Theanine is an amino acid component of Green Tea that can promote calm in pets. Studies show that L-Theanine may help maintain the required levels of dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters, which carry chemical messengers between nerve cells in the brain and from one point to another in the body. The two are considered happy hormones since they provide mental stimulation. These messengers also play a significant role in promoting positive emotion and mood.

 L Tryptophan

L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid necessary for creating proteins in the body. It is essential for the production of serotonin, which transmits signals between the nerve cells. The production of serotonin impacts the brain, which in turn, affects the dog’s mood.

L Tryptophan has numerous health benefits including promoting calm and relaxation and the overall wellbeing of the dog. Its amino acids are known as an important energy source. These amino acids may support the immune system function and promote calm by producing the brain’s chemical messengers (neurotransmitters).

Passionflower

Passionflower has long been known for its capacity to promote calm and relaxation. Studies show that passionflower contains natural flavonoids and can strengthen the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) brain receptors, which help promote relaxation. As a result, passionflower may help maintain calm and relaxation in dogs.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an evergreen plant that is native to Africa and Asia. You can find sleeping pills that contain ashwagandha as the main ingredient. It is used for its calming effects, making it ideal for dogs with mild anxiety and stress. The chemical components found in ashwagandha may also help support normal blood pressure and the body’s immune system.

Prescription Sleeping Pills for Dogs

You can also use other medications like Benadryl, which are dog sedatives. However, unlike CBD oil and chamomile, these medications must be prescribed by a veterinarian professional. You can also get these sleeping pills over the counter but we recommend consulting your veterinary behaviorist before giving them to your pooch. These sleep aids are used as oral medications and include:

• Benadryl

• Trazodone

Let’s learn more about these prescription dog sleeping pills:

Benadryl

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine prescribed to relieve symptoms like a common cold, hay fever, and allergy. It can also be used to calm and relax dogs. It works by blocking natural substances called histamine, which the body makes when it experiences an allergic reaction.

Vets can prescribe them for their mild sedative effects on dogs, which may help promote calm during anxiety. Benadryl may also help manage acute allergic reactions such as those arising when a dog is exposed to allergens.

Trazodone

You can also use trazodone to give your dog a good night's sleep. Trazodone is an antidepressant medication mostly prescribed to treat depression. It belongs to a group of medications referred to as serotonin modulators. Consequently, it works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin can be used to sedate a dog or help relieve severe anxiety. It is used for grooming, during fireworks or thunderstorms, during veterinary visits, or during short-term stressful events like traveling.

More Traveling Tips You Can Use to Make Your Dog Sleep

Besides natural and prescription sleeping pills, there are plenty of other methods you can use to help your dog feel better when traveling. These sleep aids include pheromones and aromatherapy.

Let’s dive into each of these methods:

Pheromones

Pheromones are chemical substances that the bodies of both humans and dogs use to communicate. These chemicals are excreted to trigger a social response in members of the same species. As a result, pheromones can cause behavior modification in dogs.

Pheromones cause behavior modification by sending a specific comforting signal to the pet making it feel safe and okay. The body releases pheromones via urine, sweat, and breast milk. Pheromones are colorless, odorless, and species-specific.

Pheromones are dog-appeasing and can be used to promote calm using sprays, wet wipes, collars, or plug-in diffusers. These natural substances may help your dog relax and prevent them from staying awake at night even if they experience jet lag.

Aromatherapy

You can use aromatherapy as a sleep aid. Aromatherapy is a quick and easy way to calm and relax your furry friend. Essential oils like lavender and chamomile are great choices you can use in a car diffuser. You can also dab a few drops of these essential oils onto napkins or some fabric placed near your dog.

Never put these oils directly onto your pup’s skin or let them ingest them directly. Essential oils can be too strong and are toxic when concentrated. Also, limit their exposure to the exposed fabric by opening the window or removing the fabric.

What to Do If My Dog Eats My Sleeping Pills?

Dogs should strictly not ingest or use sleeping medications intended for humans. Human sleeping pills can have severe effects on dogs since they may contain ingredients and doses that are toxic or harmful to dogs. To identify whether your pooch has ingested your sleeping pills, look out for signs like lethargy tremors, seizures, tense muscles, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.

If your dog accidentally ingests some of your sleeping pills, you must call your veterinarian immediately. You can also use the pet poison helpline. Human sleeping medication can only be used in pets when recommended by a professional veterinarian and at the right doses for pets.

If you're looking for a natural, dog-safe option to help your dog relax on car rides, CBD soft chews have been an effective option for many dog parents.