Sleep-waking rhythm altered by 2-hour light phase access to food in the rat.
The effects of 2-h restricted feeding (RF, 10.00-12.00 h) on sleep rhythms were examined in 9 male rats on a 12:12 h LD cycle (L 08.00-20.00 h). During the third week of RF, sleep amounts showed a striking reduction during a 4-h period (08.00-12.00 h), and LD differences in SWS and PS amounts were markedly reduced. Hourly sleep amounts showed a bimodal distribution during a 24-h day. Analyses of periodicity of SWS and PS occurrences revealed a dominant 12-h periodicity and a relative diminution of the 24-h one. The appearance of a 12-h rhythm of sleep may be due to an interaction of the two zeitgebers (LD cycles and restricted feeding) and possibly to the timing of RF.
D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D008297:Male; D010507:Periodicity; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*