Lactation affects dairy cow sleep structure

What is it about?

A first step toward a better understanding of sleep in dairy cows is to quantify the time cows spend awake and asleep in different stages of lactation.

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Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The importance of rest and sleep is well established; we know, for example, that lack of sleep impairs immune function in rats and increases pain sensitivity in humans. However, little is known about sleep in dairy cows, but a lack of rest and sleep is discussed as a possible welfare problem in cattle.