Why do cats sleep so much, and how much is normal?
An adult cat sleeps about 12 to 16 hours a day, in many short naps and mostly lightly, and kittens and old cats sleep even more.
Most adult cats sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, and some reach 20. Kittens and old cats sleep the most. A cat sleeps in many short naps, often only lightly, because it is a hunter that saves energy for short bursts and is busiest at dawn and dusk. Sleeping a lot is normal; what to watch for is a sudden, lasting change in how much your own cat sleeps.
Usually normal. Sleeping most of the day is normal for a cat. If it suddenly sleeps much more or less for a while, call the vet.
How do cats sleep?
- 1
Many short naps
A cat does not sleep in one long night but in many naps spread over day and night. A nap usually lasts a little over an hour, about 50 to 110 minutes. Then it does something for a while before the next nap. Sleeping lightly in short bouts probably makes a cat harder to catch.
- 2
Dozing, deep sleep and dreaming
A cat has three kinds of sleep. In light sleep the ears still turn to sounds and it wakes in a moment. In deep sleep the muscles are loose and it is harder to wake. In dreaming sleep (REM) the body goes limp, the eyes move under the lids and the brain is busy. About three-quarters of cat sleep is light dozing. Deep sleep comes in stretches of a few minutes up to about twenty, and one dreaming spell lasts about 5 minutes.
- 3
Why a sleeping cat twitches
In dreaming sleep a part of the brainstem switches off the muscles that hold the body up. So a dreaming cat lies loose and still. Small movements still get through: the whiskers, ears, paws, lips and tail tip can twitch. A cat that seems to run in its sleep is not really moving its whole body.
- 4
Busiest at dawn and dusk
In a week-long study of 14 indoor cats, the cats were busiest twice a day: around sunrise and around sunset. The quietest times were the middle of the day (about 12:00 to 15:00) and the middle of the night (about 01:00 to 03:00). So a cat is a twilight animal, not a night animal. A house cat also fits in with its people and is often livelier when you get up or come home.
- 5
Resting is not always sleeping
A cat can lie still for hours without really sleeping, and grooming or lying quietly also looks like sleep. That is why the numbers you read differ: they count 'asleep' in different ways.
Sleeping positions: what do they mean?
Loaf, paws tucked under
A relaxed but light doze: it can be on its feet in one move. A tense loaf with hunched shoulders and squinted eyes can mean pain or nausea.
RelaxedGo ahead and say hello
Curled in a ball, tail over nose
It keeps warm and protects its belly, especially in the cold. If a cat that usually sprawls suddenly curls up all the time or withdraws, keep an eye on it.
RelaxedTake it slowly
On its back, belly up
It feels completely safe, because the belly is its most vulnerable part. It can also be a way to cool down. It is not an invitation for a belly rub.
RelaxedTake it slowly
Flat on its side, legs stretched
A comfortable, deeper sleep in a place it trusts; it has let its guard down. Better to let it sleep.
RelaxedTake it slowly
Paw over the eyes
Probably it blocks light and noise to sleep deeply, and keeps its nose warm. In a busy room it may sleep better somewhere quieter.
RelaxedTake it slowly
Flat on its belly, back legs out
Relaxed, often cooling its belly on a cool floor, and still quick to get up. An older cat that stops doing it and seems stiff may have sore joints.
RelaxedGo ahead and say hello
Face down into its paws
Usually it has drifted into deep sleep and blocks out light and sound. An awake cat pressing its head against a wall is something else: that is an emergency.
RelaxedTake it slowly
Dozing upright, head up
A light doze from a high spot with a view. It is resting but keeping watch and can react at once.
AlertGo ahead and say hello
Eyes half open while dozing
Usually light sleep: muscles loose, senses on watch. If the third eyelid stays visible while it is awake and alert, it may be ill or in pain.
AlertTake it slowly
Why do cats sleep so much?
Behaviour and surroundings
A hunter saving energy
All catsStalking, sprinting and pouncing use a lot of energy. A cat is built as a small ambush hunter: it rests long between short bursts and saves energy for the next chase. A pet cat that gets its food from a bowl keeps the habit.
How to tell- Long rests between short bursts of play
- A sudden sprint after a long nap
Awake at dawn and dusk
All catsCats are busiest at dawn and dusk, when their prey is moving too. So they sleep through much of the day and are lively early in the morning and in the evening. A cat is not truly nocturnal.
How to tell- Naps through the day
- Zoomies or a wake-up call at dawn
- A playful spell in the evening
Light sleep keeps it ready
All catsA sleeping cat is vulnerable. By dozing lightly, with its ears still listening, it wakes at once for danger or prey.
How to tell- Ears turn to sounds while the eyes are closed
- Wakes fast at a touch or a noise
Not much to do indoors
Common in indoor catsIndoor cats sleep more than cats that go outside, which spend more time exploring and meeting others. A bored indoor cat often just naps because nothing better is on offer.
How to tell- Sleeps more on quiet days
- Wakes and plays well when you start a game
Growing up and growing old
Kittens sleep almost all day while they grow. Old cats sleep more again as they slow down and move less easily. Healthy adults sleep the least.
How to tell- A kitten drops off mid-play
- An old cat rests more but still eats and greets you
Cold, grey and rainy weather
CommonCats sleep more on cold, grey or rainy days and in the short days of winter, also cats that never go out.
How to tell- More naps in autumn and winter
- More time on warm spots
Following the household
CommonMany house cats take on their people's rhythm: awake when someone gets up, comes home or plays, asleep when the house is quiet. A cat that is alone all day can seem to sleep much more.
How to tell- Wakes when you come home
- Settles when the house is quiet
Looking for warmth
Most catsMost cats cannot resist a warm spot. They stretch out in the sun or near a radiator and curl up tight when it is cold. They also find warmth with you or another animal.
How to tell- Follows the sun around the room
- Curled up in the cold, stretched out in the heat
High, with a view and a way out
Most catsA cat feels safest up high and out of reach, with a view of the room and an easy way out. In the wild it sleeps alone, with no group to keep watch, so it picks a place where nothing can surprise it.
How to tell- Shelf, cat tree, windowsill or top of a cupboard
- Lies with its back to a wall and a clear way out
Boxes and snug places
Most catsA cardboard box, a drawer or a sink feels safe, because nothing can sneak up, and a small space warms up fast. Utrecht University research on shelter cats showed that cats with a hiding place (a box or a closed house) got used to stress faster.
How to tell- Squeezes into boxes, drawers and bags
- Likes a hiding place with one open side
Changing places
CommonCats often rotate between sleeping places. That is normal. Cats Protection links it to avoiding a build-up of parasites; another source says it keeps the cat's scent down.
How to tell- A different favourite spot every few weeks
- Ignores the new bed that smells of the shop
Stress or fear
SometimesStress can change sleep either way. After a move, a new pet or a change in routine some cats hide and rest more; others get restless. A cat that only ever dozes lightly may be bothered by a busy or unsettled home.
How to tell- Hides and rests more after a change
- Only dozes, never lies deeply
- Tense body while 'asleep'
Physical causes
Pain or illness
Not often, but the reason to watch for changeA cat that is ill or in pain often sleeps and hides more, and cats are good at hiding illness. Many conditions first show as extra sleep: infection, arthritis or other pain, kidney disease, diabetes, an underactive thyroid, anaemia, heart or liver disease, cancer, obesity and poisoning. Only a vet can tell which.
How to tell- Sleeps much more than its own normal
- Dull and flat even when awake
- Less appetite, grooming and play
Brain ageing in older cats
In older catsA changed sleep and wake pattern is one of the signs of dementia in cats of 10 and older. An old cat that suddenly wanders or meows loudly at night may be affected. The vet can help.
How to tell- Awake and calling at night
- Sleeps more by day
- Confused or restless
Sleeping less than usual
Less common than sleeping moreMuch less sleep is seen in very active cats, with an overactive thyroid or high blood pressure, with FIV and in females in heat that roam. A cat with nothing to do by day can be wide awake at night. Pain can make it hard to settle too.
How to tell- Pacing or yowling at night
- Losing weight while eating a lot
- Restless, cannot settle
Twitching, snoring, eyes open: what does it mean?
- Sleeping with the eyes open
- It is usually light sleep or a doze: the muscles are loose but the senses stay on. You see it more with visitors, in a new place or with noise from outside. A relaxed cat also often keeps its eyes half shut so the third eyelid shows. Only if that third eyelid stays visible while it is awake should you have it checked.
- Twitching or running legs in sleep
- Brief twitches of the whiskers, lips, ears, paws or tail tip, a paddling paw and eyes moving under the lids are normal dreaming sleep, in a loose, relaxed body. Normal twitches are small and short, and they stop and start. Do not wake the cat; one that is touched suddenly can lash out before it is fully awake.
- Meowing, chirping or purring in sleep
- A dreaming cat may squeak, chatter, purr or quietly meow. Growling or crying with the ears flat looks like a bad dream, but that is not proven in cats. Let it sleep. If it does not stop, cannot be woken or jerks rhythmically, read the part below about trembling.
- Shaking or trembling while lying down
- While the cat is asleep this is most often dream twitching: small, brief, stopping and starting. A seizure is different: the cat cannot be woken, the jerking is repeated or rhythmic, the legs may be stiff, and it can be confused for a day or two afterwards. Twitching while awake, in the same spot again and again, or in a cat that seems unwell needs a vet exam.
- Your cat snores
- Snoring is the sound of air passing a partly narrowed throat or nose. A soft snore now and then in deep sleep, in a cat that has always done it, is usually nothing. Flat-faced cats such as the Persian snore more. See the vet when the snoring is new, louder or more frequent, happens while awake, or comes with laboured breathing, sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, wheezing or a changed voice.
- Sleeping face down or with the head upside down
- A cat that tucks its face into a cushion, a blanket or its paws is usually deeply asleep and shutting out light and sound. A head hanging off the sofa or lying upside down probably goes with the poses of a cat that feels safe enough to let go completely. Nobody has studied it on its own; this is our reading.
- Your cat wakes you at dawn or at night
- A cat is busiest at dawn and dusk, so a cat that slept all day may want to play at 5 a.m. Play hard with it in the evening, feed afterwards and do not reward the wake-up call. A new night-time restlessness, pacing or yowling in an older cat is a different thing and a reason to book a vet visit.
- Sleeping hidden away, by the water bowl or the litter box
- Hiding to sleep now and then is normal. Much more than usual, or suddenly in new, isolated spots, can be a sign of illness, pain or stress. A cat that starts to rest by its water may be drinking too much, which fits kidney disease, diabetes or an overactive thyroid. A cat that lingers near or in the litter box can have trouble peeing or pooing. In both cases call the vet.
How to help your cat sleep well
- 1
Learn what is normal for your cat
For a week or a few nights, note when it is awake, resting, eating and using the litter box. Then a real change is easy to spot, and the vet has something concrete.
- 2
Offer more than one quiet resting place, high and enclosed
A cat tree shelf and a box or cave, away from busy doorways and other pets. Cats sleep best where they feel safe, off the ground and able to hide.
- 3
Keep the sleeping place warm, quiet and draught-free
With a soft, washable bed and a litter box close by. Cats choose warm places, and a cat that cannot settle sleeps worse.
- 4
Play hard in the evening, like a hunt
Chase and catch first, then a meal, then rest. That order burns energy and settles the cat for the night. Short games of 5 to 15 minutes a few times a day work too.
- 5
Give an indoor cat something to do by day
A window perch, puzzle feeders, toys and company, especially when you are out. A bored cat naps out of boredom, and activity by day shifts when it sleeps.
- 6
Do not respond when it wakes you at night
No play, food or attention at that moment, and stick to your evening routine. Rewarding the wake-up trains it. A cat that is suddenly noisy at night, especially an older one, should be checked by the vet.
- 7
Let a sleeping cat sleep
If you must wake it, call its name or make a soft sound from a few feet away instead of touching it. A cat picked up suddenly can lash out before it is fully awake, and unbroken sleep matters, especially for kittens.
Better not
- Do not wake a cat in the middle of a dreamNot even if it looks like a nightmare. It needs the rest, and a cat woken suddenly may lash out.
- Do not reach in for a belly rub when it lies belly upIt is a sign of trust, not an invitation. A hand can startle it into a grab or a bite.
- Do not reward early wake-ups with food, play or attentionIt teaches the cat to do it again, and earlier.
- Do not punish a cat for waking youPunishment makes a cat afraid and harms your bond; it does not change when the cat is awake.
- Do not put a change in sleep down to age or lazinessA change in sleep often relates to a physical illness, and cats do not sleep because they are lazy.
When to see a vet?
Sleeping a lot is not the problem; a change from your cat's own normal is. If the change is sudden, lasts more than a day or two, or comes with other signs, call the vet. A cat that cannot be woken, collapses, breathes with an open mouth or has a long or repeated seizure needs a vet at once. The same goes for a cat that strains in the litter box and pees little or nothing.
- It is very hard to wake, does not respond normally, has collapsed, or breathes hard or with an open mouth at rest: the same day.
- A seizure (cannot be woken, repeated or rhythmic jerking, stiff legs), a seizure lasting more than five minutes, or seizures close together: the same day.
- It presses its head against a wall or a hard surface, or strains in the litter box and passes little or no urine: the same day.
- It suddenly and lastingly sleeps much more or much less than normal, for more than a day or two or with other signs.
- It has been listless for more than 24 hours, stays dull even when awake, shows no interest in food, play or you, or has not eaten for 24 hours.
- It sleeps much more and also hides, grooms less, plays less, seems a different cat or is slow to respond.
- It is suddenly restless at night, pacing or yowling, especially if it is over 10.
- The third eyelid stays visible while it is awake, it sits tense and hunched with squinted eyes, or it lies flat on one side and never changes position.
- Snoring that is new or louder, happens while awake, or comes with laboured breathing, sneezing, coughing or a runny nose.
- Twitching in the same spot again and again, twitching while awake, or sleep with rhythmic, violent or long jerking.
What research says
Cats have two busy times a day: dawn and dusk
Researchers followed 14 indoor cats for a week. Eating and moving had two peaks every day, around sunrise and sunset, and two quiet times, midday and the middle of the night. An older lab study had already shown that a cat's daily rhythm follows light and the people around it.
Parker and colleagues; Randall and colleagues, 2019, 1985In REM sleep a cat's muscles switch off, so a dreaming cat stays still
Michel Jouvet found that in REM sleep the brainstem switches off muscle tone; only small twitches of whiskers, ears and paws get through. When that system failed, sleeping cats stood up and made hunting or attack-like movements. What a cat dreams about has never been measured.
Michel Jouvet, 1979A cat's sleep looks much like a dog's
In 12 napping cats and 13 dogs, brain activity was measured without hurting them. The cats showed the same stages (drowsiness, ordinary sleep and dreaming sleep), and the structure of their sleep did not differ from the dogs'.
Balint and colleagues, 2024
Story or true?
Cats are nocturnal.
Cats are twilight animals: busiest at dawn and dusk. They can be active at night too, but that is not their peak.
Cats sleep so much because they are lazy.
Long rests between short, intense hunting bursts are a leftover of a hunter's life, not laziness. And much of what looks like sleep is resting or grooming.
A cat lying belly up wants a belly rub.
No, it shows trust. Most cats do not like their belly touched, and reaching in can startle a relaxed cat into a grab or a bite.
A cat twitching in its sleep is having a seizure.
Normal dream twitches are small and brief, and they stop and start. A seizure is rhythmic or whole-body, lasts longer and the cat cannot be woken.
A change in sleep in an old cat is just age.
Sleep changes in older cats often have a physical cause. If a cat over 10 suddenly sleeps much more or much less, have it checked.
Each sleeping position has a proven meaning.
The readings of loaf, ball, belly up and the rest come from vets and writers, not from research; sources even read the curled-up ball in opposite ways. Use them as a hint and look at the whole cat.
Did you know?
- 12 to 16 hours
A healthy adult cat sleeps half to two-thirds of the day, and some reach 20 hours.
- 5 minutes
That is about how long one dreaming spell lasts. Deep sleep is only about a quarter of all cat sleep.
- 20 to 22 hours
That is how much a newborn kitten sleeps a day: almost all the time.
- Two peaks
A cat's day has two busy times, sunrise and sunset, and two quiet ones: around noon and in the small hours.
Kittens and older cats
- Kitten
Newborn kittens sleep 20 to 22 hours a day, about 90 percent of their time in the first weeks, because sleep helps them grow. From about 3 months a kitten sleeps like an adult, 12 to 15 hours, and by about 6 months most sleep more at night. Young kittens twitch a lot in dreaming sleep; that fades with age.
- Older cat
Cats of 10 and older often sleep 16 to 20 hours, as they slow down and their joints get stiff. That is normal as long as appetite, grooming and interest in you stay the same. A sudden shift, new night yowling or pacing, or confusion can mean an overactive thyroid, high blood pressure, pain or dementia. The vet can help.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for cats to sleep all day?
Sleeping most of the day, in short naps with bursts of activity at dawn and dusk, is normal. Ask the vet when it is a sudden change for your cat, when it lasts more than a day or two, or when your cat does not perk up for food, play or you.
How much does a cat of 1, 5 or 10 years sleep?
From about 3 months a kitten sleeps like an adult, around 12 to 16 hours a day. So a cat of 1 and a cat of 5 sleep about the same. From around 10, many cats sleep more, up to 16 to 20 hours. Every cat differs, so compare with your own cat's normal.
How long does a cat sleep in one go?
Usually a little over an hour. A nap lasts about 50 to 110 minutes, around 78 minutes on average. A cat sleeps in many such bouts through day and night, not in one long stretch.
Do cats sleep for 70% of their lives?
Not quite. An adult cat sleeping 12 to 16 hours a day sleeps half to two-thirds of the day. Kittens and old cats, at up to 20 hours, come closer to 80 percent. The '70 percent' is a rough average, because a lot of cat sleep is light dozing.
Can cats have nightmares, and should I wake a cat that cries in its sleep?
Cats may replay frightening things in dreaming sleep, but nobody has shown that they have bad dreams like people. Growls or cries in sleep usually pass. Do not touch the cat; if it wakes suddenly it may lash out. If it does not stop, cannot be woken or has rhythmic jerking, see the vet.
Why does my cat lie on its back with its paws up?
It feels completely safe: the belly is its most vulnerable part and it shows it only where it feels at home. It can also be a way to cool down. Enjoy it from a distance; for most cats it is not an invitation for a belly rub.
Why is my cat sleeping less than usual or hardly at all?
Cats sleep less when they are very active, in heat, or bored by day and lively at night. It can also mean something is wrong, such as an overactive thyroid, high blood pressure, FIV or pain. If your cat suddenly sleeps much less, paces or yowls at night, especially an older one, see the vet.
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