Rock-a-bye Mousey

Mouse in a cup on top of grass.

(singing) Rockabye mousie, in the tree-top….

This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.

Being rocked to sleep – it’s not just for babies! Laying on a hammock on a hot summer’s day will make anybody yawn. But are there other species that love being swayed baaaaaack and forrrrrrrth before bedtime?

Konstantinos Kompotis and his team from University of Lausanne turned to mice for an answer.

These researchers put the little critters to bed in state-of-the-art ROCKING cages. Just like a baby’s self-rocking crib! The mice were also hooked up to a machine that measured their sleep.

 

The results? Mice take HALF the time to fall asleep if they’re being rocked. And they STAY asleep for over ten percent longer! (Plus…they look ADORABLE when they’re asleep!)

 

Knowing mice fall asleep by rocking helps us know more about human sleep. Kompotis hopes his study will help scientists develop new ways to treat sleep disorders… WITHOUT medication!

 

Maybe Petco should start selling teeeeeeeeeeny tiny hammocks! Your pet mice will appreciate the zzz’s.