How to get a kitten to sleep at night:
You can train or encourage your cat to sleep at night with a few adjustments during the day. The most important part is not to reward night-time behaviour with attention and instead schedule daytime play and feeding with your cat.
1. Give your kitten a daytime activity
A feeding toy with food or treats will give your kitten both mental and physical activity. Buying new toys or rotating your cat’s toys may also help to keep your cat busy during the day.
2. Play and exercise
An exhausted kitten is more likely to sleep through the night. Schedule a play session close to their last nap of the day so they can exhaust all the extra energy before going to bed.
3. Change the feeding schedule
Cats often fall asleep after eating. Changing the amount of food and feeding your cat more often during the day can keep your kitten active while you’re busy. Changing the type of food and moving evening meals to later at night might help your kitten become sleepy before bed. But be mindful of calorie count before introducing an extra or larger meal as you don’t want your kitten being kept awake from eating too much food.
4. Introduce familiar objects
Having something that smells familiar can be a huge step towards getting a kitten to sleep at night. Shelters are often happy to let you have their favourite blanket when you adopt a kitten so they can keep a piece of their old home close as they’re getting adjusted to their new life.
5. Manage your own space
If daytime changes don’t work, shut your bedroom door, and keep your cat out of your room. Set up a cosy sleep area with a litter box as far away from your room as possible. Put a towel at the bottom of the door to stop any door scratching or rattling.
6. Medication may help
If your cat doesn’t respond to any other adjustments, your vet may prescribe medication or natural sleep remedies like melatonin or valerian. However, your cat can develop a tolerance to sleeping medications and they may not work after a few nights.
