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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

Published on: August 2, 2017

Characterizing Sleep Spindles in Sheep.

Will T Schneider¹, Szilvia Vas¹, Alister U Nicol¹

¹Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3DY, United Kingdom.

|March 4, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sheep exhibit sleep spindles within the typical human range during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Intriguingly, similar spindle-like events also occur during wakefulness, potentially serving distinct cognitive functions.

Keywords:

automated detection awake EEG learning slow waves spectral analysis wake spindles

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sleep Science
Mammalian Physiology

Background:

Sleep spindles are transient brain patterns during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.
They are crucial for learning consolidation and may indicate aging or neurodegenerative disease progression.
Characterizing sleep spindles in non-human mammals provides comparative insights.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize sleep spindles in sheep (Ovis aries).
To investigate the presence and nature of sleep spindles during both nocturnal and diurnal NREM sleep.
To explore potential spindle-like events during wakefulness in sheep.

Main Methods:

Wireless electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from six sheep over multiple days and nights.
Automated algorithm for detection and characterization of sleep spindles.
Analysis of spindle frequency, duration, density, and topography.

Main Results:

Sheep sleep spindles occurred within the human range (10-16 Hz) but lacked distinct fast/slow bands.
Spindle characteristics varied between individuals but were consistent within individuals across nights.
Spindles during daytime NREM sleep were similar to those at night.
Numerous localized, spindle-like events were detected during wakefulness, differing from sleep spindles.

Conclusions:

Sheep possess sleep spindles similar to humans, primarily during NREM sleep.
The study identified novel "wake spindles" during daytime wakefulness, distinct from sleep spindles.
Wake spindles may originate from different mechanisms and potentially play a role in daytime cognitive processes.