Apache doesn't recognize a local zone (BIND) unless restarted frequently Apache does not recognize the local zone .dev -- returns 404 Not Found. If Apache is restarted it will recognize the local zon. If inactive for ~1hr it no longer recognizes the local zone -- returns to 404 Not Found.

Configurations

# /etc/named.conf
...
zone "dev" IN {
    type master;
    file "dev.zone";
    allow-update { none; };
};
...


Used wildcard subdomains to enable this feature.
Your issue probably is in named.conf.  Check for errors with named-checkconf and look at your logs in var/log/* (depends on distro).  Additionally, look at /etc/syslog.conf for logging options.