You should play your dog an Ed Sheeran song before they go to bed, says new research

Dog owners struggling to send their puppy to sleep at night should be playing Ed Sheeran songs it seems - after the popular singer-songwriter was ranked the most calming to canines.

Recent research conducted by Hillarys analysed the top sleep playlists on Spotify to find the best sounds for sleepy canines.

Ed Sheeran was labelled the number one artist to send dogs to sleep, with his acoustic song 'The Joker and the Queen' most popular, and Taylor Swift and John Mayer ranked in second and third place.

The study also revealed the most relaxing music to our furry friends is acoustic and instrumental sounds.

There are lots of things you can do to help your puppy get enough sleep (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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Hillarys conducted the research to celebrate World Sleep Day on 18 March, and also looked at the most soothing artists to send owners off to sleep - with The Weeknd, Drake and One Direction ranking top three.

As well as playing calming music at home, there are a number of other things dog owners can do to help their newborn puppy sleep well.

According to tails.com 's behaviourist, Carolyn Menteith, an eight-week-old puppy should be getting 18-20 hours of good quality sleep every single day.

Carolyn told TeamDogs : "In other words, more than 80 per cent of their day should be spent sleeping. Sounds like heaven to me!"

She explained that sleep helps to convert puppy energy into growth and physical and mental development.

A puppy who is not getting enough sleep will not develop as well, will have a less robust immune system and will struggle to learn or remember things.

To help puppy parents ensure their pets are getting enough sleep, Carolyn shared the following tips:

1. Make sure you factor in puppy sleep time in the same way you do meal times and walk times.
2. Ensure that you make a hard and fast rule that no one disturbs the puppy while they are asleep.
3. It’s not just the amount of sleep that is important either - it’s the quality too. Make sure your puppy has somewhere comfortable and warm to sleep that is close to you but away from distractions, noise and movement that might disturb them.

So, when you find yourself thinking 'what should I do with my puppy now?', the answer might well be 'absolutely nothing' - or you can try popping on an Ed Sheeran classic.

Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.