If you have a cat (or even if you don’t), you probably envy it because it spends a large part of its day sleeping while you work, survive, and… serve it. Today, we’re telling you more about cat sleep in the hope of getting closer to their promised land.
How much do cats sleep?
The average amount of sleep a cat gets per day is between 12 and 18 hours. But about 40% of cats regularly sleep more than 18 hours. As they age, these beautiful mammals sleep more and more.
How long do they sleep?
Cats have polyphasic sleep. This means they sleep several times a day instead of once, like humans. A cat’s nap is an average of 78 minutes, but anything between 50 and 113 minutes is considered healthy feline sleep.
The cat’s sleep cycle?
Just like humans, cats have a circadian rhythm (an internal clock that determines when we feel sleepy and when we don’t).
In humans, the sleep cycle is diurnal. In other words, we are predisposed to be awake during the day and sleep at night. However, cats are nocturnal animals. They have two peaks of activity – one in the morning, before sunrise, and one in the evening – during sunset.
Some hypotheses about the sleep cycle of cats are that it is due to their predatory instincts. Most animals that are prey for cats (in the wild) have a variety of sleep cycles. The activity of representatives of the family allows them to both prey on diurnal animals in the morning, when they are still sleepy and insecure, and to hunt nocturnal animals, which wake up at sunset.
What happens while cats sleep?
Cat sleep is also divided into phases, and yes, they are the same as in humans – generally 2 types – NREM and REM phase.
Studies have shown that cats often experience periods of activity before falling into NREM sleep. In these initial phases of sleep, the cat sleeps lightly, ready to wake up instantly. This process repeats itself several times before entering the REM phase.
As in humans, the REM phase is associated with rapid eye movements, under closed eyelids. Cats’ eyes move both horizontally and vertically (you’ve probably noticed this phase in your pet). Another characteristic of REM sleep is the twitching, twitching of the limbs. This is due to the fact that both humans and cats dream during the REM phase, but cats often act out their dreams, which results in movements.
Why do cats sleep so much?
To survive. Yes, that’s right – in both humans and cats, sleep is the main energy restorer, helping to consolidate memory and strengthen the immune system.
When should you worry about your cat?
There are many reasons for changes in your cat’s sleeping habits. If she’s been more active than usual for a longer period of time, it’s perfectly normal for her to need more sleep. If you’re moving her outside of her usual territory, a change in sleep is also to be expected.
However, if you notice her waking up or sleeping through the night, it could be another health issue that you should check with your vet.
Oversleeping and lethargy could be a sign of:
- Kidney failure – if your kitty is suffering from this condition, she’ll likely eat less, drink more water than usual, sleep more and be noisier at night.
- Deafness – deaf cats sleep more because their sleep is undisturbed by what’s going on around them. Other symptoms include increased meowing during the day and night, as well as loss of appetite and weight loss.
- Hypothyroidism – lethargy, hair loss and decreased appetite are some of the symptoms of this condition.
Waking up or reduced sleep can be a sign of:
- Lack of stimulation – if your kitty is hyperactive at night, he may not be using up enough energy during the day. The advice is to play with him or let him outside to tire him out.
- Hyperthyroidism – if your cat suffers from this condition, his thyroid gland produces more hormones than necessary. Then the animal becomes overexcited, eats more, but still loses body weight.
- Immunodeficiency syndrome – this condition affects both feral and domestic cats and results in the animals having difficulty falling asleep and generally sleeping less, which creates a vicious cycle of an ever-worsening immune system.
Well, we hope we've clarified cat sleep and while we can't go against our nature (even though we really want to sleep 12 hours a day), we can now wholeheartedly enjoy their feline life.
