Why Your Dog Needs a Bedtime Routine Too

The Truth About Tired Dogs

You put your dog through reps, play, and training all day. You assume they’re wiped out. But at 9:30 p.m., they’re pacing. Barking. Panting. Staring out the window. Suddenly that “tired dog” doesn’t look so tired. Why? Because tired bodies don’t mean tired nervous systems.

And if you don’t give your dog a structured way to come down each night, you’re building tension—not rest.

Dogs Need a Wind-Down Just Like We Do

We love our routines: brushing teeth, turning down the lights, a warm drink, maybe a book. All signals to the brain: it’s time to rest.

Dogs? They need the same thing. But instead of tea and a novel, their nervous system asks for:

• Stillness

• Predictability

• Calm leadership

• Clear boundaries

Dr. Stephen Porges, founder of the Polyvagal Theory, reminds us: “The capacity to feel safe is critical for restorative states like sleep and digestion.” When dogs lack that safety, the sympathetic nervous system stays engaged—fight or flight mode. And that’s when you see whining, reactivity, insomnia, and anxious pacing.

Why Summer Makes This Worse

Between late-night fireworks, houseguests, and inconsistent schedules, summer throws off everything. Even normally chill dogs start showing:

• Restlessness at night

• Barking during bedtime

• Crate refusal

• Regression in Place

But it’s not a behavior issue—it’s a nervous system regulation issue. And it’s your bedtime routine that becomes the anchor.

The 3-Part Bedtime Blueprint: Place → Crate → Settle

Here’s the formula we use at A Peaceful Pack to close the day with calm—not chaos.

1. Place Before Bed: Drain the Static

Think of this like the dog’s version of brushing their teeth—just for their brain.

How it works:

• Cue “Place” 30–60 minutes before crate or bed.

• Sit nearby and do nothing. Let the environment do the work.

• Reward for yawns, head dips, soft eyes, or a full “double down” (head on paws).

Nervous System Note: This triggers the parasympathetic system (rest/digest). Stillness = safety = decompression.

Dr. Daniel Siegel calls this kind of calm state “integration”: “It’s where the nervous system can come back online and organize itself.”

2. Crate = The Bedroom, Not the Jail Cell

The crate should feel like the safest room in the house—not a punishment box. Your goal: predictability + peacefulness.

Pre-crate flow:

• Take them to potty.

• Gentle leash walk back in.

• Minimal words, low tone.

• “Kennel” cue + low-level tap (if needed) + slow door close.

• White noise or fan on nearby.

What to avoid:

• Excessive affection.

• High-energy crate entrances.

• Last-minute corrections before bedtime.

A smooth transition keeps the nervous system in downshift—not re-activation.

3. Settle = The Nervous System’s Final Cue

Once in the crate or on Place, don’t skip this last step.

Watch for:

• Lip licks

• Sighs

• Slow blinks

• Head resting fully down

Only once those signs appear is your dog truly entering rest. If they’re still scanning or shifting, they’re in body but not in mind. And that means tomorrow starts with tension—not clarity. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, puts it this way: “You can’t fully come out of fight or flight without a clear sense that your body is safe.”

Bedtime for Dogs = Morning Wins for You

Here’s what a solid bedtime routine unlocks:

• Dogs who sleep through fireworks

• Mellow crate entries without bribery

• Calm morning behavior

• Less barking, more compliance

• Easier transitions during travel or guests

Just like kids who go to bed on time function better at school, dogs who settle correctly at night train better during the day.

What About Travel, Guests, or Chaos?

This routine becomes even more critical when life is loud. Fireworks night? Start Place earlier. Add a crate cover. Keep lights dim. Airbnb stay? Bring their Place mat and crate. Mimic the steps. Kids’ sleepover? Isolate the dog in a crate, fan on, and run a longer settle beforehand.

Don’t adjust the dog to the world. Adjust the world to their nervous system.

Final Thought

Your dog isn’t overexcited. They’re under-structured. They’re not refusing rest. They’re missing the signals to find it. Bedtime isn’t a luxury. It’s a leadership moment. It’s how you close the nervous system loop—and open the door to calm.

So tonight, build a ritual. Not just because you want peace……but because your dog doesn’t know how to get there without you.

Works Cited

1. Porges, Stephen W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

2. Siegel, Daniel J. (2010). The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration. W. W. Norton & Company.

3. van der Kolk, Bessel. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Press.