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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 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

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Change with Sleep Stage in Dairy Cows.

Laura B Hunter^1,2,3, Marie J Haskell², Fritha M Langford²

¹Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Ethical Agriculture, AgResearch Ltd. Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI

|August 7, 2021

Summary

Heart rate and heart rate variability show promise for assessing dairy cow sleep stages. These measures offer a simpler alternative to polysomnography (PSG) for animal welfare research.

Keywords:

dairy cows heart rate heart rate variability polysomnography sleep

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Last Updated: Oct 25, 2025

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

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Human Circadian Phenotyping and Diurnal Performance Testing in the Real World

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Published on: April 7, 2020

Area of Science:

Animal Welfare Science
Veterinary Physiology
Sleep Research

Background:

Assessing sleep stages is crucial for understanding animal welfare and stress.
Polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard for sleep staging, is impractical for large animals like dairy cows.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the potential of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) as non-invasive indicators of sleep stages in dairy cows.
To compare HR and HRV patterns during different sleep stages identified by PSG in housed and pastured cows.

Main Methods:

Dairy cows were monitored for sleep stages using polysomnography (PSG).
Simultaneously, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded.
Lying posture and activity (head movement) were also observed.

Main Results:

Mean HR and HRV were elevated during periods of movement and lateral recumbency.
A decrease in mean HR correlated with increased sleep depth.
Heart rate variability patterns differed significantly between awake, non-REM, and REM sleep stages.

Conclusions:

HR and HRV exhibit distinct patterns across different sleep stages in dairy cows.
These physiological measures present a viable, less invasive alternative to PSG for sleep assessment in cattle.
This approach could enhance animal welfare research by simplifying sleep monitoring in large animals.