The 3 a.m. hallway grand prix is a rite of passage for cat owners. Cats are crepuscular — wired to hunt at dawn and dusk — and a cat that has snoozed all day has a full battery exactly when yours is empty.

Drain the battery on your schedule

The evening routine that works: a vigorous wand-toy session ending around bedtime, with real catches, followed immediately by the day’s biggest meal. Hunt, feast, groom, sleep — you’re hijacking the natural sequence and pointing it at your own bedtime.

Make nights boring

If the zoomies still come, be relentlessly dull: no chasing, no feeding, no reaction — any response is a payout. An automatic feeder set for early morning uncouples dawn hunger from your alarm clock, and a food puzzle left out gives solo hunters a quiet job.

New or extreme night restlessness in an older cat can be medical — thyroid, blood pressure, or fading senses — and is worth a checkup. Otherwise, adjust the schedule and reclaim your sleep.