Does your cat wake you up early in the morning too?
Does this sound familiar? It’s been a long day, finally you’re ready to crawl into bed. You filled your cat’s food dish and scattered a few favorite toys about. After all, you don’t want your feline companion to get hungry or bored in the middle of the night!
You’re asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, happily languishing in dreamland when all of a sudden a piercing “YOWL” wakes you?!
Maybe if you just ignore them, they’ll stop and let you get back to sleep? Probably not.
Unfortunately, cats are really good at training their owners. They know that if they try hard enough (yowling, jumping onto your pillow, scratching, etc.) that eventually you’ll wake up and attend to their needs. Also, unfortunately, once you do get up and grant their wish (treats, food, playtime? At 3am?!) you’ll have lost the battle and they may be waking you on a regular schedule!
Does this sound familiar? Then continue reading to discover why some cats wake their owners during the night and what you can do to ensure your precious sleep schedule is not interrupted.
Why Is My Cat Awake At 3am?
Why does it always seem to be around 3am? Are they hungry? In pain? Is it due to old age? Maybe it’s more fun to play during the night while it’s dark and quiet?
Cats are nocturnal by nature. So it does seem reasonable to assume that they naturally sleep all day and stay awake most of the night? Right? Well, sort of. Cats do sleep on average about 16 hours a day, but usually only for a few hours at a time. So they are awake during the night. And unfortunately that does seem to be around 3am! But they also are awake during the day.
The trick to get them to sleep through the night (or at least mostly through the night) is to schedule in some playtime before bed.
Play Before Bed
Want a good night’s sleep? Schedule in some good quality evening playtime with your cats. Give them lots of attention, maybe start with a good brush, and then some energetic play. After a good play session your cat will probably groom themselves before curling up for a long nap (and hopefully sleep through most of the night).
Good quality playtime should stimulate your cat’s natural hunting instincts (running, pouncing, climbing, etc.) This type of active play provides much needed mental stimulation as well as physical.
Active play is especially necessary for indoor cats who, when left alone for hours at a time, become bored and lethargic. They easily adapt to a schedule of sleeping for extended periods of time throughout the day and prowling all night. Their nocturnal instincts kick in!
Don’t Close Them Out!
You may feel that closing your bedroom door (or enclosing your cat inside another room) is the answer to getting a good night’s sleep. And shutting them out may seem to temporarily solve the problem (and if you are a light sleeper you really may have no other choice but to do so).
But your cat isn’t going to see it that way! Instead they will feel confused and betrayed. They will wonder why they can’t get to you if they get scared or lonely during the night?
And, it’s also possible that your cat will just scratch on whichever door is between them and you!
Be Proactive!
It’s better to take the time to ‘train’ them.
After your nightly play and bonding time, make sure they have eaten (leave some food out if you can) and check that they have toys and activities to keep them occupied while you’re sleeping.
If you have younger cats consider getting a catio or make a designated space for them inside where they can be awake and stimulated during the daytime. Set up a few bird feeders just outside of a large window and a comfy spot inside. Cats love to watch the variety of wildlife attracted to feeders. This will help provide them with extra stimulation and hopefully ensure that they will sleep mostly at night. Older cats also benefit from this kind of mental stimulation.
Frequently getting woken up by your cat in the wee hours?
There are steps that you can take today to help your cat sleep throughout the night, or at the very least entertain themselves and not wake you up!
By being proactive, using a little common sense and loving on your fur babies you can regain your uninterrupted rest… well at least from them waking you. Both you and your feline companions benefit once you incorporate active play into your nightly routine.
Changes to your cat’s immediate living environment such as a new home, new baby or another animal may temporarily throw them off schedule. Being proactive can help them adjust. Keep in mind, though, that there may be an underlying medical cause for why your cat is awake (and needing you to also be awake) at 3 o’clock in the morning.
Pay attention to unusual behavior such as increased stress and frequent litter box usage, as these may be signs that your fur baby may need to visit their vet.
