What are we missing here, Ddog not sleeping.

[Serin]

We have a 12 year old Llhasa apso, for the last few weeks he has started to bark and whine in the night. It starts off softly and then gets louder over 5 minutes, not the explosive barking we get during the day, if he suspects that the postman/random magpie is going to kill us.
He has been to the vet, not ill, not diabetic, not deaf, no dental issues. As fit as a flea, walked for at least an hour a day (off lead) with another shorter walk in the evening.
He sleeps downstairs in the hall way, not crated but behind a stairgate. He has been sleeping there happily for the last 11 years.
We have let him sleep in our room on occasion (if there is thunder and lightening) but it never ends well as he bounces about the room and licks us, so we aren't keen to have him up here.
Its not a toiletting problem as initially we thought he might need a wee and let him out into the garden, but he just ran around delighted, barking his head off at 3am. Not exactly desperate for the loo. DH and I, (and the 2 DCs that are working from home through lockdown) are all at our wits end, we were all woken 3x last night, we are already zonked at work and it's only Tues! I work on a Covid ward and life is stressful enough right now.
Could he be missing DS1 who has been living away since Xmas. Ds1 and Ddog were inseparable but he had to go back on placement and due to lockdown hasn't been home?
Does anyone have any advice?
He has a lovely good quality bed, his teddies around him. Access to a drink.
Thanks

At that age I'd be looking at a cognitive decline or disfunction (dementia) to see if any of the other symptoms fit. A change of body clock so that dogs are awake in the night is a classic symtom. As is an increase in nervousness.

Otherwise I'd be tempted to record him at night to see if I could spot something that as triggering the behaviour.

Oh God, really.
12 isn't that old surely
In every other respect he is his usual self.

At the risk of ruining your day, the average lifespan for a Lhasa is about 12-14 years, so he's right on time.

However, lots of older dogs handle conginitive decline with grace and the help of mediciation, supplements and some home considerations such as a reliable routine. It is worth a chat with your vet to make sure other possible cuases are ruled out and what they might recommend to help. But that's where my own thought pattern would be going.

Ahh right, when we got him (after losing German Shepherds way too early at 9 or 10) I remember googling lifespan of a Lhasa and I'm sure it was nearly 16. In my mind he is going to make 20!!
He is so sprightly, in fact we have laughed about him growing "younger" recently as he is so full of life.
Trying to look at this objectively, there are definitely new behaviour changes, he wants to sit on my knee in the evening , last week he had a wee on a rug, he has taken to "digging" up the sofa (jumps up on it and scratches away in a corner) and has become a lot more clingy generally. We just thought it was due to lockdown and him never being alone these days.
So I guess it's back to the vets for a brain scan?

Thank you SirSniffsALot

Sorry, OP. 12 years seems like such a long time until it's behind you.

Hopefully you can get this sorted and enjoy his twilight years.

Our dear old cat started this behaviour as he got older. It was definitely a cognitive disorder due to age, he seemed to get lonely/separation anxiety if he woke up during the night. It was as if he woke up and didn’t know where he was. He went on for another couple of years without other problems developing.
If we just called down to him when he miaowed - all was OK, he was a funny old boy as there was nothing to stop him coming upstairs but he didn’t come up at night.
A friend also has this issue with their older dog - leaving a talk radio on quietly has helped night time dog distress.

The vet will use symtoms rather than a brain scan - and maybe blood/urine tests to rule out other possibilities.

I have heard that a radio on at night (as suggested above) can help. I've also known a gentle night light left on to help.

I think some supplements such as fish oil (omega 3) and coconut oil (medium chain triglycerides) have been studied and shown to help. Or at least, to slow down any decline.

Plus, there are medecations that can help - e.g. melatonin to help regulate night and day again (I think!).

So, there could still be plenty of good times with this little dog, to come

Thank you. We always leave the landing light on but I will set the Alexa to relaxing music for dogs tonight. Failing that I have got DH to agree to let him sleep in our room. Providing he doesn't spend the whole time jumping around and licking himself noisily, (Ddog not DH).

Some good news here, Ddog has slept through the last 2 nights completely.
We left the Alexa on playing relaxing music for dogs and also DH worked out that he might just be cold, as our heating goes down low at night and Ddog has recently been clipped. We tucked him in with blankets and both mornings he was still snuggled under them snoring away, looking like he hadn't moved an inch
He still has his vet appointment tomrw but we are hopeful it might just be that.

That’s good news.

I love the image of him being tucked in before bedtime. Sounds cosy.