Picture this: After a long tiring day, you collapse into bed and are about to enter lalaland. Suddenly, you start hearing soft meows. These soft meows gradually turn into louder meows. In no time, your cat is sitting either next to you or on you, asking for much-deserved attention!

I don’t know about you, but I have suffered sleepless nights trying to keep my cats happy and active whenever they want (even at night!). My deep dark circles made me realize that it’s better to train my cats to let me sleep at night instead of falling prey to their cuteness every time.

Your cat shouldn’t wake you up during the night since getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to your health. There is no need to experience sleep loss due to cats. Below are reasons why your cat might be waking you up at night and how to deal with this behavior problem.

Why does my cat wake me up at night.

Cats are nocturnal animals that like to be outside at night. Nearly all of the day is spent sleeping, while the night is devoted to playing or hunting. For several reasons, your cat could wake you up in the middle of the night.

• Your cat could be very awake and eager to play while you’re just starting to nod off because it may not have had enough stimulation, enrichment, and exercise during its active periods.
• Your cat may be lonely and in need of company if it spends most of its active time at home by itself while you are out at work or elsewhere.
• Your cat needs a nighttime snack or a special treat, or it’s thirsty or hungry.
• Your cat’s timetable no longer coincides with your own.
• The litter box or bedding of your cat has been disturbed.

Note : If your cat behaves strangely, awakens in the middle of the night without apparent cause, or appears ill, consult your veterinarian immediately. It might range from discomfort from a toothache or arthritis to something more serious like hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or neurological disorders. If your cat is elderly or exhibiting new or odd behavior, pay attention to it.

Train your cat to sleep and let you sleep

You can train your cat to sleep through the night using a variety of methods. Ensure your family is on board with the adjustments because some may call for certain behavioral alterations on the part of pet owners. Make a decision on your response to your cat before going to bed. Making a choice in the middle of the night is not recommended.

Plan your child’s playtime and snack times

Your cat may be unhappy with the attention it receives from you during the daytime, thus it disturbs you at night begging for some attention. By organizing a one-hour interactive play session an hour before bedtime, you can assist your cat in resetting its internal clock. After playtime, give your cat a light snack, like a little treat, to satisfy their appetite. This should prevent them from scrounging for food at night.

Make comfortable places for your cats to sleep

Provide cozy sleeping spaces for cats in a spare room, a living room corner (with a screen for privacy), or even the toilet. To get the cat to use the bed at first, try applying a little catnip.

Obtain a second cat

It might be challenging to choose a second adult cat for your house that will get along with your first adult cat. Care should be taken to ensure that your first cat has a friend that won’t stress it out. Two kittens are nearly always preferable to one and are frequently an excellent time to introduce cats. This is especially true with kittens, who, throughout their first year of growth have a lot more energy to expend.

Keep your cat from eating right away

Avoid giving your cat what it wants if it wakes you up too early in the morning to ask for breakfast. It can help you sleep better if your cat has a specific, safe space to sleep, eat, and pee, such as a spare bedroom.

Set a Schedule

Cats prefer regular routines in their homes because they dislike surprises. Giving your cat a consistent schedule for meals, playtime, grooming, and stroking will help to maintain its well-being and provide you with a restful night’s sleep each night.

Ways to stop your cat from waking you up

Inform all family members about the measures you are taking to stop your cat from waking you up at night. During the daytime, provide playtime and lots of love to your cats so that it sleeps contently at night. If you neglect your cat and nobody gives it food, it will keep you up.

• Keep the room dark.
• You can choose from white noise, waterfall or ocean sounds, and bird noises that play relaxing sounds that may help you sleep (while your cat is on the other side of the door).
• Use room-darkening shades to totally darken your room to avoid pounce-and-bite attacks on your toes at night.
• Installing a scratch pad on your door or getting your cat’s nails trimmed and fitted with plastic nail covers will help avoid damage to your door.
• If possible, use your phone instead of leaving any digital or fluorescent-dial clocks beside your bed.
• If all else fails, try using earplugs to block the ear canal and provide some comfort.

Cat parents will need to identify any natural or social demands that are not being addressed, fix the issue, or accept that their cat’s biological clock will not run in sync with their own. Get in touch with a cat behaviorist or an Applied Animal Behaviorist in your region if your cat’s sleep issue becomes too much to handle.