We’ve all experienced it before. You’re lost in a deep sleep having a fantastic dream when suddenly your cat wakes you back to reality. Cats are cute but waking up to them at 3 AM is not! It is true cats are more active at night, but they are not naturally nocturnal animals. There are ways to train your cat to let you sleep at night, and the HICC Groom team is ready to spill all the petcare secrets!
Why Is My Cat Not Letting Me Sleep?
Cats have precise sleeping schedules. They are natural hunters from the early mornings or evenings, typically around dawn or dusk. Cats are known for being crepuscular, which means they are active during twilight hours. If your cat is preventing you from sleeping, there are different things you can do. One solution is training your cat’s sleep cycle to match yours. A few reasons why your cat keeps you up at night include:
- Hunger: cats often wake in the night to feed, which fits into their natural hunting/eating cycle. If you wake up to feed your cat in the middle of the night, they will learn to expect food at that time.
- Attention: cats are very social creatures. They love playtime and may be seeking your attention while you are sleeping.
- Health conditions: if your cat feels uneasy or sick at night, they might act extra wild or vocal. Monitor changes in your cat’s behavior, eating habits, or urine. These signs may indicate whether something health-related is going on.
- Boredom: cats will do different things to keep themselves occupied. They may play with their toys or explore their surroundings late at night.
- They have energy from sleeping all day: if you go to work during the day, your cat may sleep during the day while they have nothing to do. This sleep cycle causes them to feel good and energized in the evenings.
How To Get a Cat to Sleep at Night
You can teach your cat to sleep at night by using bedtime, playtime, and feeding as training tools. You can use feeding time as a reward system to teach your cat what behaviors are appropriate.
