This is a question that is not that easy to answer because all cats are different and have different sleeping patterns. The one thing that all cats seem to have in common is their determining factors for sleeping, just like humans. Some of these factors include health, age, mood, environment, and many more. Their sleeping habits tend to be very unique no matter what breed they are.
Do they sleep all night?
That is maybe because it depends on a few things. Many times a cat will wake their owners really early in the morning because they are bored or hungry. This is especially true for young cats. Cats are generally nocturnal, which means that they are awake at night but they can be trained to have become diurnal. This is when they sleep during the day. Most cats want to stay awake at night because that is when it was the best time for them to hunt when they were wild and undomesticated.
Facts
- A cat that is healthy will sleep whatever time they want to as long as they are comfortable, feel safe, and are not hungry.
- As to whether they prefer to sleep in the dark, it depends on the cat’s personality and environment. With a feral cat, due to their fear of humans, they will hide out somewhere dark so they cannot be seen and then come out at night to hunt when humans are not around.
At night, how long do cats sleep?
Technically, a cat sleeps on average fifteen to twenty hours a day so this covers most of the day. It also means that they are awake from four to nine hours a day. For the majority of cats, their sleeping is done mostly during the day and their active period is at night, so technically they may not sleep at all during the night hours.
With kittens, they sleep a lot during the day when comparing them to adult cats. As they start to grow they may start being active during the night or day.
How to help your cat sleep at night
When training your cat to sleep at night, you will need to have patience and remember that it is going to take time. It is natural for cats to be awake at night so you are trying to change what is natural to them.
- Readjust their feeding schedule—if they are used to eating anytime they want to eat you will have to design a timetable for feeding them. Make sure that they have at least three meals a day at a certain time but no early or later feeding times.
- Playtime—when their owner has a day job, the cat will be home alone so make sure that you play with them when you get home to get them exhausted so they will sleep
- Adjust their sleeping time—although this might be a bit hard at first slowly start changing their bedtime until it follows your sleep schedule.
- Learn to ignore their mewing sounds—meowing early in the morning is quite common so when they start their meowing, ignore them. It is not going to be easy and it may take some weeks before they stop this behavior
- Remove any temptations—if the room is dark it only natural for a cat to want to prowl so try to keep them in a room full of light. If the light has the opposite effect and keeps them awake, then turn off the lights and see if that enhances sleep
- You can also give them some catnip, which will make them active and after running around they will be tired and ready for bed
- If they continue to not want to sleep when you are sleeping, you can always shut them out of your bedroom. The only drawback to doing this is that they may sit outside your door and meow.
- If you have to be gone during the day, make sure that your cat has toys to entertain themselves because if they are bored, they will sleep during the day and be up at night.
- Sometimes you may have to give a cat a snack before bedtime so they will not wake you up early because they are hungry.
In conclusion
Although it is natural for cats to sleep during the day and be up at night, they can be trained to sleep during the night so you can get some uninterrupted sleep. There are some cats that have such a bond with their owners that they will adjust their circadian rhythm to sleep snuggled up next to you while you sleep and play during the day.
A lot of cats are more active at dusk and dawn, so that is why cats like to wake their owners up at dawn so they can be fed or played with. If you keep your cat active during the day and evening they will sleep at night to replenish their energy. Cats may not sleep all night but with time and patience, you can train them to sleep enough hours to give you a restful sleep Their urge to go on the hunt will always be there.
If they do not sleep as many hours as you do, you can leave blinds or curtains open so they can look out at night. This may keep them occupied so that if they are not sleeping all night at least they are not bothering you while you sleep.
At night, before you get ready for bed try to play with them to wear them out so they will need to sleep. There are some cats that do not need to be trained to sleep at night and play during the day. They will just follow their owner to bed and curl up next to them and sleep. If you have to train your cat to follow your sleeping pattern, be patient. It takes time.