Skip to Content

Why won’t my cat let me sleep?

If your cat won’t let you sleep, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.

So, why won’t my cat let me sleep? Likely reasons why your cat won’t let you sleep are being hungry, separation anxiety, or a problem with the room it stays in.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat won’t let you sleep and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.

Reasons why your cat won’t let you sleep

Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.

It wants something from you

The reason why your cat won’t let you sleep could be that it wants something from you. This would be more likely if it does it more when you have not yet fed it or let it outside. This would also be more likely if it stops you from sleeping in the morning before it has been fed.

Separation anxiety

Another possible cause is that your cat has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if your cat tends to do it when you stay in a different room and if it starts becoming anxious when you are leaving.

An issue with the room it stays in

The cause could also be that there is an issue with the room that it stays in when you are sleeping. The room could be too loud, too bright or there might not be a safe spot for it to lie down in. This would be more likely if your cat only does it when it has to stay in a certain room.

Nature

Cats are naturally more energetic in the early mornings and late evenings. If your cat stops you from sleeping in the early morning or late evening, it could be the case that your cat does it because it is naturally more awake at those times.

It is expecting to wake up at a certain time

Another possible cause is that your cat is used to you being awake at a certain time. This would be more likely if your cat stops you from sleeping on the weekends when you wake up later.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

If your cat has never allowed you to sleep

If your cat did used to let you sleep, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first stopped letting you sleep. For example, if it happened when you started sleeping at a different time, it could be because your cat is used to you going to sleep and waking up at a different time.

What is different when your cat does allow you to sleep

It would also help to consider the timing of when your cat does not let you sleep. If your cat does not let you sleep during the day, it could be the case that it does it because it wants attention or because it finds the behavior unusual. Whereas, if it does it in the morning, it would be more likely to be due to hunger and naturally having more energy in the morning.

What to do about your cat not letting you sleep

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Ensure the room it stays in is ideal

It would help to make sure that the room it stays in, at night, is not too hot, bright, loud, and that there is a safe space for it to lie down on.

Feed it and give it access to water

It would also help to make sure that your cat has been getting the right diet, it has been eating the right amount of calories and that no one else has been feeding it things it shouldn’t be eating.

Give it distractions

If your cat does it during the day, another option would be to give it things to be distracted by such as toys. Alternatively, you could get it to stay in a different room while you nap.

Make sure it has access to the litter box

If your cat does not currently have access to the litter box, in the morning, it would help to make sure that it does since it might be doing it because it wants access to the litter box.

Why won’t my cat let me sleep at night?

If your cat won’t let you sleep at night, it would be more likely to be due to things such as naturally having more energy at night, an issue with the room it stays in or separation anxiety.

Why won’t my cat let me sleep during the day?

If your cat won’t let you sleep during the day, it would be more likely to be due to wanting attention, wanting to see that you are ok, or feeling safer by touching you.