Sometimes when we ask cat owners, "What does your cat usually like to do at home?" they roll their eyes and say, "What else can it do? Just sleep! It doesn't move at all." Well… indeed, sleeping is one of the most common behaviors cats exhibit at home. Cats often come up with all sorts of creative ways to sleep, like lying on us, sprawled on the floor with their paws in the air, or even hanging from a cat tree in a 9.9-point-highly-difficulty pose. These unusual sleeping positions often leave us wondering, "Do cats really love sleeping that much?" 
In fact, in terms of duration, cats sleep the longest of all mammals, unparalleled in its length. Folklore tells of a cat missing its chance to be included in the Chinese zodiac because of its excessive sleepiness, highlighting its propensity for sleep. While this is partly a joke, it does reflect the fact that cats sleep many times a day, each time for no more than an hour, resulting in a considerable total daily sleep time.
If owners observe their sleeping cats closely, they'll notice that even the slightest sound will wake them. This is because cats' sleep is divided into light sleep and deep sleep. Most of the time, cats are in light sleep; they appear asleep, but they remain highly alert. During light sleep, cats don't get sufficient rest, similar to a human nap. Cats only enter deep sleep when they are truly relaxed. Cats in deep sleep typically adopt very comfortable postures, such as lying on their backs in a twisted position, while cats in light sleep often lie prone. A cat's sleep cycle alternates between light sleep and deep sleep, and light sleep lasts a considerable amount of time. Therefore, the actual time they get to rest and relax is not particularly long; they only sleep for about 5 or 6 hours a day.
Cats' sleeping behavior can sometimes be perplexing. For example, one of the biggest headaches for many owners is being woken up by their cats in the dead of night, when they should be sleeping soundly. Why are cats, who are supposed to be sleepy, so energetic at the time when they should be sleeping the most? The reason is quite simple. For cats, who are natural hunters, nighttime is when prey comes out to hunt. In the darkest hours of the morning, only their bright eyes can see everything. Cats can see the prey's every move, while the prey cannot see the cats. This is the easiest time to hunt. As domestic cats, they still have the blood of hunters flowing in their veins; their primal instincts make them most awake in the early morning.
The number of times a cat sleeps throughout the day and the length of time it sleeps are influenced by many factors, such as hunger, being in heat, age, and climate. Cats sleep less when they are hungry, cold, or in heat; kittens and senior cats sleep longer than healthy adult cats; and they sleep much longer in warm climates.
At the same time, owners also need to pay attention to some abnormal sleepy behaviors in their cats, such as sleeping all day long and being lethargic. This may be a sign of certain diseases. For example, catching a cold and having a fever can cause cats to be sleepy. However, sleepiness caused by disease will have corresponding symptoms, and owners can discover and treat it in time.
Furthermore, cats are quite particular about their sleeping spots, always striving for the most comfortable place. For example, they might sleep near a heater, but this often results in their tails getting singed; mother cats and kittens may sometimes choose a comfortable spot to sleep together, but this can easily lead to kittens suffocating; sometimes cats will knock over and damage furniture and other belongings in their search for a good sleeping spot. As their owner, you should definitely be mindful of these things.
