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Illness
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A trip to the vet makes sure that there are no underlying health issues. A cat may not be willing to stray far from the litter box if it is having to urinate frequently. Frequent urination or straining to urinate can be a sign of a urinary tract infection, and if the cat is presenting those symptoms it should be taken to a veterinarian.
Security
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Shelters will sometimes provide shoe boxes for their cats to sleep in, and litter boxes have a similar shape. Adjusting to a new home can be stressful for a cat, and may leave the cat uneasy. If the cat was adopted from a shelter, that may be the reason it is sleeping in the litter box.
Territory
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A mixed-animal household can be stressful for a cat, as can small children who may cause stress to the cat. According to "For the Love of Cats," domesticated cats view their litter boxes as havens of safety. A cat may sleep in the litter box because a dog or child in the house is causing it to feel stressed or unsafe.
Access
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If the litter box is in a room with a door, the cat may be accidentally separated from its box. A door can easily fall shut, or someone who doesn't know the cat needs access to the room may close it. To prevent being separated from the litter box, the cat will sleep in it.
Pecking Order
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According to the experts at Tidy Cats, a cat in a multi-cat household may sleep in the litter box to limit access to the litter box by the other cats. That establishes a pecking order. That type of behavior can be countered by providing multiple litter boxes.
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What Causes a Cat to Sleep in Her Litter Box?
It is not unusual for a cat to sleep in a strange place. However, when a cat starts sleeping in the litter box, it could be a sign of illness or stress. It's a sign that, for one reason or another, the cat is unwilling to stray far from its litter box.