Sleep and drowsing in dairy cows - do Swedish cows need more sleep?

Sleep is essential for all mammals studied and varies according to species, age, pregnancy, health status etc. Sleep affects the metabolism, as well as the endocrine and immune function; lack of sleep increases energy requirements and impairs the immune defense. Preliminary results of 24h-recordings on sleep duration in different lactation stages in eight dairy cows show that total sleep time is about 4h per day, and is significantly lower in cows two weeks after parturition compared to during the dry period and in peak lactation.

During 2010 and 2011 a study with eight cows was conducted at Kungsängen Research centre where total sleep time was recorded for 24 hours on five different occasions during lactation and twice in the dry period. The aim of the study was to estimate cows total sleep time throughout a lactation period. The cows were kept in single pens during the recordings with free access to feed and water and to rest. Preliminary results show that cows displayed longest sleep time in early lactation and in the dry period two weeks before calving. Shortest sleep time was recorded in early dry period.

From spring 2013 to summer 2014, we recorded sleep on twelve SRB cows at the Swedish Livestock Research centre, Uppsala-Lövsta. The method was the same as earlier: we measured brain activity with surface attached electrodes and snap-on wires connected to a portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device that is attached to the cow with a harness. From the information of the brain activity we calculated total sleep time for the cows.

Doctoral student:

Emma Ternman

Project group:

Sigrid Agenäs, Per Peetz Nielsen

Read more

Read Emma Ternman´s doctoral thesis "Sleep In Dairy Cows"