Does your cat allow you to sleep through the night? In this article, we will learn how to stop your furry friend from awakening you at night!
Do you find that your cat is constantly waking you up at night to play with her, to lobby for food, or to cuddle you when you are trying to sleep?
A good night of sleep is vital for your health. Your cat shouldn’t interrupt your sleep.
No one should suffer from sleep deprivation because of their cat. I know some people will take the sleeping pill to help them sleep, but not everyone has this option.
However, other options will help you with a good night’s sleep, and you don’t have to take any playtime from your cat.
Why does my cat wake me up at night?
Cats are nocturnal. Meaning, cats sleep most of the day, but they also hunt and play at night. Your cat might wake you up at night for several reasons.
1. Not enough playtime
Your cat might not be getting enough playtime and exercise during her active periods. So when you decide to go to bed, your cat might still be fully awake and ready for playtime. Solution: Play with your cat during the day!
2. She is home alone
When you are at work or traveling, your cat may feel lonely if it spends its time at home all alone.
Related: Why do cats sleep so much?
3. She is hungry
Your cat is thirsty, hungry, or wants something special. Consider setting up an automatic feeder!
4. Her schedule is off.
Her schedule may not be in sync with yours anymore.
5. The litter box is not clean.
The litterbox of your cat hasn’t been cleaned regularly.
Important: You should consult your vet immediately if your cat displays unusual behavior or wakes up at night. A disorder that causes sleep interruptions can include toothache, arthritis, high blood pressure, or hyperthyroidism.
6 Steps to stop her waking you
You have a variety of options to help your cat sleep peacefully throughout the night. Some may require behavior modification on the pet owner’s part, so ensure that everyone in the family is familiar with what you want to achieve. It is up to you how you will respond to your cat before you go to sleep, and not in the middle of the night.
1. Play Play Play
Schedule a high intense, hour-long playtime for your cat about an hour before going to bed to help it adjust its internal clock. You can end the playtime by giving your cat a light snack, such as a treat or biscuit. This will help to keep your cat from starving during the night. And you can always buy and set the feeder.
2. Ignore her
Do not pay her any attention even if/when the cat wakes you up. After a few attempts, your cat may learn to ignore you.
3. Don’t let her sleep in your bed.
Your bedroom should be kept off-limits at all times. Your cat should have a place to sleep in the spare room at night. Corner of your living room or bathroom. This will ensure that your cat has water and litter pan access at night. You can also consider putting her in an indoor cat cage for the night (Related: Read how long can a cat stay in a cage)
4. Get another cat
One cat can quickly get bored if it is alone at home all day and might want to play with you at night. A pair of kittens are almost always better than one.
5. DO NOT Feed her at night.
Avoid feeding your cat at night if it interrupts your sleep to get food. It will likely wake you up every morning to get something to eat.
6. Schedule helps
It will help your cat’s well-being and give you a good night of sleep every night by giving it a schedule for food, exercise, and interactive play.
What to do to fix this behavior
1. The whole family needs to be on board.
You can still help your cat, and yourself sleep better even if she is waking you up. Make sure all members of your family are informed about the actions you are taking. If you ignore your cat and someone else feeds it in the middle of the night, then we are back at square one.
2. Ignore her scratching
Even if your bedroom door is closed, she might scratch it for a while. However, I am sure she will eventually stop and go back to sleep or find some other activity. You can mount a vertical scratchpad on your door or trim your cat’s nails frequently to prevent her from scratching your door.
3. Listen to the music.
Music might help you sleep – Many apps can play soothing sounds (like white noise) to help you sleep, with your cat on the other side of the door.
4. Sleep in complete darkness
The body’s natural progression towards sleep can be slowed down by nighttime exposure to light and thus increase melatonin levels.
5. Consider earplugs
If all of the above fails, you should get yourself some earplugs to help you sleep better. They can make a world of difference for light sleepers or people who live in a noisy area or with a noisy cat.