Yoghurt is one of the most popular fermented dairy foods worldwide and possesses several health-beneficial properties. Yoghurt provides numerous nutrients and bioactive components which may modulate many physiological and psychological processes. This study aimed to assess the possible sedative effects of daily consumption of yoghurt in normal, healthy rats. The plain yoghurt was made directly using fresh cow's milk and starter culture. Rats were weighed, randomly divided into two groups (12 rats in each group), and orally gavaged once a day for seven consecutive days as follows: Control group (distilled water, 2 ml/100 g b.wt) and yoghurt group (plain yoghurt, 2 ml/100 g b.wt). Motor activity and exploratory behavior of the animals were measured actimetry, using the infrared LE8811 Actimeter Panlab system, in order to count the number of global, locomotor, and stereotype activities, number of rearing, total distance travelled, mean velocity/speed, and resting time. Daily consumption of yoghurt was associated with a significant reduction of rat global, locomotor, and stereotyped activities compared to control group. The total distance traveled, mean speed, and number of rearing also decreased but not reaching significance. Interestingly, daily consumption of yoghurt accentuated resting state in rats. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time that daily consumption of yoghurt for seven consecutive days could decrease rat motivity and promote calmness resulting in a sedative effect, which may be effective for the treatment of anxiety and depression.