Objective Nocturnal animals forage and eat during the night and sleep during the day. When food is available only for a short period during the day, animals develop a catabolic state and exhibit locomotor behavior before accessing food, termed food anticipatory activity. Consequently, there is a disruption in the sleep pattern. The present study aimed to explore how anticipatory arousal emerges under circadian exposure to a palatable meal (PM) and disrupts sleep architecture.