Many cat owners have struggled with cats that stay awake at night, especially kittens. Since cats are naturally nocturnal animals, this behavior is not unusual, but it can be frustrating. There are a number of ways to encourage a cat to adopt a diurnal sleeping schedule, so that he or she will relax at night while you sleep. Be aware that if your cat has suddenly started to become very active at night, this can be the sign of a medical problem, or an unwanted visitor; cats might get active at night when a skunk moves in under your house, for example.

Like many predators, cats are programmed to expend immense amounts of energy hunting and to spend a lot of time sleeping to regain energy which is lost during hunting activity. One of the best ways to calm a cat at night is to change your feeding and play schedules to encourage the cat to calm down and sleep at night. You can do this by offering your first feeding later in the day, rather than waking a cat early in the morning to feed him or her, and giving the biggest meal at night around half an hour before bed.

It is also important to play with your cat, especially if he or she lives indoors. Play and environmental enrichment will help your cat to stay healthy and happy, and you can also tire your cat out with good play sessions. To calm a cat at night, try having a brisk play session, following up with a big meal, and then settling down for the night. The exercise and the meal will encourage your cat to settle down as well.

If your cat sleeps in your bedroom, keep the bedroom dim and set up a warm, soft space to encourage your cat to sleep. Other cat owners prefer to keep their cats out of the bedroom, in which case a heating sleeping pad and a regular sleeping spot are highly encouraged to calm a cat at night. You can also give up on trying to calm a cat at night if you shut him or her out of your bedroom and provide him or her with toys for amusement while you sleep. If this becomes disruptive, try some of the above techniques to calm your cat. Remember not to reward your cat with a response when he or she disturbs you at night; unless the cat is obviously in physical danger or distress, ignore any pleas for attention.

If you have tried to calm a cat at night without success, you can also talk to a veterinarian about prescription medications which can encourage your cat to adopt a regular sleeping schedule. The veterinarian may also have additional suggestions derived from his or her years of experience in veterinary practice to try before resorting to drugs. Remember that punishment of any kind is not recommended for cat training, as you may end up ultimately confusing your cat.