Cat Won’t Sleep At Night? There’s A Solution!

Crinkle. Crinkle. THUD. Cat won’t sleep at night? You’re not alone.

Many cat owners have experienced the sheer frustration of being woken up in the middle of the night, usually by a cat or two running around and playing with loud tin-foil cat toys, or their cat meowing and yowling at the bedroom door.

Cats are experts at throwing their little bodies around to cause as much noise as possible.

In some cases, cats will quite literally run into walls or slide across tables, creating a path of destruction that most owners groan at in the morning. However, their cute faces in the morning almost make the mess all forgivable.

Why won’t my cat sleep at night?

Cats simply being cats is a common reason why they are so active at night. Did you know that cats are primarily nocturnal creatures? Their sleep-wake cycles are kind of all over the place. This sleep schedule and lack of daytime activity is the main reason why your cat won’t sleep at night. It’s also why they seem to prefer playtime at nighttime.

As a result, cat parents might want to consider introducing quiet interactive pet toys to their cat. After all, they’d chase a laser pointer at two in the morning if they could!

According to PetMD, wild cats typically hunt at night. Even with food or catnip readily available, your domesticated pets will often be awake doing nighttime activities due to their instincts.

It is common for cats to sleep during the day when the house is quiet. Then they grow more active, chasing catnip toys around or using their cat scratchers, as people come home from work or school.

Ultimately, this leads to your cat not sleeping at night.

Why does my cat meow so much at night? When to be concerned.

Excessive meowing at night could mean your cat has health issues. According to the Feline Health Center at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, your cat meowing loudly at night can be an indication of something called cognitive dysfunction.

Cognitive dysfunction is a condition “whose signs resemble those associated in humans with Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia” and is common in elderly cats above the age of 10. 

In addition to night calling, other signs of cognitive dysfunction in senior cats include:

• spatial disorientation
• excessive sleeping & naps
• staring blankly into space or walls
• peeing or pooping outside the litter box
• lack of interest in water or cat food

According to Cornell, night-time meowing can also be indicative of hyperthyroidism/overactive thyroid or hypertension. Pet parents should take their cat to the vet for a checkup to ensure everything is OK.

How to Let Your Cat Be a Cat and Get a Good Night’s Rest

So, how to get a kitten or adult cat to sleep at night and stop meowing? Providing your indoor cats with interactive cat toys before bed offers them entertainment when nothing else is moving in the still of night, which is also great for their mental stimulation!

If you have been around cats, it is a fact of life that your sleeping body is a runway for them to strut. If your cat won’t sleep at night, you’re not the only one. However, I am the bearer of good news. Humanity sent men to the moon decades ago, and now we have finally developed enough technology to create a perfect fix!

These Quiet Cat Toys Will Help You Cat-ch Some Z’s

We developed a solution for cats who won’t sleep at night (or at the crack of dawn in those early morning hours). These quiet nighttime cat toys emit a soft glow, and allow cats to be active at night without disrupting your sleep!

In particular, the Flashing Firefly Mat and Swat & Play Quiet Mat are very popular with our feline friends. Here are some of the best cat toys that won’t wake you at night. 

Flashing Firefly Mat

Is your cat constantly sitting on your chest? Is your cat staring at you and gently (or aggressively) poking your face in order to be entertained at 3:40 a.m.? No more!

This play mat is one of the best interactive cat toys for nighttime. The touch-activated fireflies on the Flashing Firefly play mat will provide hours of quiet entertainment, leaving you to sleep peacefully. Using their hunting instincts, cats love chasing the flashing laser pointer-like nightlights across the mat. You won’t even notice that your cat won’t sleep at night when they are entranced by the flashing lights.

Quiet Twinkle Ball

Somehow all those cat toys, especially the ball toys with bells in them, (most of which are stuck under the couch) miraculously come out at night. Then an obnoxious jingle-jangle melody fills the house for hours as your cat plays.

With the specific creation of nighttime cat toys like the Twinkle Ball, you can happily allow cats to be entertained in the evenings while you enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Glow-in-the-dark ball cat toys have a huge appeal for kitties. Check out our many other varieties of quiet interactive cat toys, such as the Firefly Treat Stuffer.

Soothing Purr Pillow

Some cats are extremely energetic at night and have a hard time calming down along with everyone else in the household. But with no one to wave a teaser wand toy around, what are they to chase?

These cats are the ones that pounce and sprint down hallways at a million miles an hour. And it’s those kitties who need an extra cuddle buddy to soothe them into a comfortable state of mind. 

Petstages has developed two varieties of comfort plush toys for snuggling. The Purr Pillow Snoozin’ Sloth and the Purr Pillow Cat emit a quiet, soothing purring sound for your cuddly critter.

Another version of these soothing toys is the Kitty Cuddle Pal, which has a removable, microwavable warming insert. These inserts offer warmth and comfort your cat will love. There are not many animals out there who would be able to resist sleeping with that!

Calming Cat Bed

Meow! A well-rested pet is a healthy pet. Get your kitty a bed that is suited to natural cat behaviors like hiding, lounging, and curling up for cuddles.

A pet hut is perfect for nervous cats to seek refuge in to hide. A calming cat bed like the cuddle cup or donut shag is great for older cats with joint problems or cats who need a break between play sessions.

Catnip Cat Toys

The Toss ‘N Twinkle 3-pack is the perfect toy set for nighttime play. It comes with one touch-activated light-up blue star that’s perfect for when your kitty’s nocturnal hunting urges kick in. It will satisfy your kitty’s nighttime urges to pounce and play without disturbing your precious sleep

Let Your Cat Sleep Naturally

Yeowww! Being woken up at 5 a.m. by your cat making a mess of the litter box or chewing on a plastic bag it dragged out of the garbage seems like an unfortunate reality. However, these cat toys designed specifically for nighttime play can dramatically increase the amount of engagement your cats have while allowing you to snooze soundly.

Your new kitten or cat’s nighttime behavior is perfectly normal. They just need the right interactive toys to give them the enrichment your cat needs. If you are concerned about your cat’s sleeping patterns, however, contact your DVM.

Nighttime cat toy options, scratching posts, kicker toys, puzzle toys, chew toys, and more can be found on our website, Chewy, Amazon, and your local pet shop.

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