Effect of a Hedonic Stimulus on the Sleep Architecture of Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• anticipatory locomotor behavior
• circadian entrainment
• palatable meal
• sleep