Social context and dominance status contribute to sleep patterns and quality in groups of freely-moving mice

Abstract

In socially-living species, sleep patterns are often subject to group influences, as individuals adjust to the presence, daily rhythms, and social pressures of cohabitation. However, sleep studies in mice are typically conducted in single-housed individuals. Here, we investigated sleep in a semi-naturalistic environment with freely-moving, group-housed mice using wireless electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring and video tracking. We found evidence of in-group synchrony of sleep state patterns and effects of social dominance status on sleep quality. These findings highlight the importance of exploring sleep in a social context and are a step toward more informative research on the interplay between social functioning and sleep.