Sleep problems found in dogs with dementia.

Elderly dogs with dementia appear to spend less time sleeping than those with healthy brains, according to a study by North Carolina State University. The research found that dogs with higher dementia scores took longer to fall asleep and spent less time sleeping. The study also found that dogs with a poorer performance on a memory task experienced shallower rapid eye movement sleep. The findings suggest that changes in sleep habits could be a sign of cognitive decline in older dogs. The researchers hope to follow dogs before and during progression of dementia to identify changes early on that might serve as predictors of future problems.