Do cats sleep at night?

Yes, cats do sleep at night, however, they rarely straight through the night.

A typical cat sleeps between 12-16 HOURS a day. So, yes some of that time is at night. Cats are natural predators and hunt primarily at dawn and dusk. Therefore it is natural for cats to be more active at night. Let’s learn more about other reasons can wake in the night and some possible ways to encourage your cat to sleep longer at night.

Cats don’t sleep all night because twilight and dusk are the best times to hunt

Even indoor only cats who have never had to hunt for survival, feel the urge to practice hunting skills after dark. That cute little fluffy ball you share your pillow with at night has all the basic instincts to be an excellent hunter. In the wild cats prey, like small rodents, and birds, are more active at twilight and dusk. In order to survive the wild cats learned to hunt prey when their prey was easiest to catch. Your cat’s night vision is excellent and they can see very well in the dark.

Cats are really into cat naps. On average your pet sleeps 12-16 hours a day

The average cat nap lasts between 50 and 113 minutes and more typically for 78min or just over an hour. That sounds good to me, they don’t call it a cat nap for nothing! Even though they sleep a LOT during the day, unlike humans, cats are neither diurnal nor nocturnal.

Cats are considered crepuscular. Their internal biological clock tells them to be active at dusk and dawn. Fighting nature is a challenge and this behavior can be hard for pet owners to adjust to IF their schedules do not match up. I can’t tell you how many times PizzaCat is napping UNTIL it’s lights out. Like clockwork, he suddenly arouses and wants to play and eat. Fortunately, I have found some tricks to help my cat sleep at night so I can get some sleep too.

Tips to encourage cats to sleep at night when you sleep

Set a bedtime routine.

Thirty minutes before lights out, take the time to play and be active. Work with their natural cycle. It is play but it also satisfies the desire to hunt, when cats get to play, pounce, and chase. After play time let them eat. This behavior mimics their wild nature. Even cats will fall asleep after a nice meal.

Hide toys and treats for after hours solo playtime

Indoor cats often suffer from boredom and anxiety, They often are alone for hours at a time. It is important to find ways to keep their brain active and engaged. Sometimes the easiest way to ensure they sleep more at night is to make sure they are tired !

During the pandemic, I was home with Pizza a lot. Both our sleep schedules were off. I had to do some research to get us both sleeping at night again. I found this really cool feeding system by Doc and Phoebe.

Before bed I fill these “mice” with dry food and treats and hide them around the house. There is a slide to adjust for kibble size. It works exceptionally well. My cat needs to bat it around to deposit a piece of yummy. It took a while for him to catch on, but now he loves them. There is always dry food in his bowl, however, given the choice he will eat from this unique feeding system instead. Proof the hunting instinct is strong. More importantly, this is something to stimulate their already active feline brain, while filling their belly. It does help the cat to go back to sleep at night when he is done,

So Do cats sleep at night? As you can tell not always, however, folowing these tips can help you all have a more peaceful night.

working with their natural instincts,

setting up a routine

finding ways to stimulate them at dusk and dawn

providing toys to hunt, and snacks to eat for the dawn.