“For a small mammal, finding food on a daily basis is a critical mission. Even a few days of starvation, a common threat in natural environments, may result in death. Hence, it is adaptive for animals to have a secondary “master clock” that can allow the animal to switch its behavioral patterns rapidly after a period of starvation to maximize the opportunity of finding food sources at the same time on following days.”

It normally takes about a week to adjust to a new sleeping cycle due to late work shifts or a new time zone. However, according to a new study performed at Harvard Medical School, fasting for 12-16 hours can help people to quickly reset their sleep cycle. Our secondary “food clock” can easily override the main clock when we are hungry. So, approximately twelve hours before your “new breakfast time,” stop eating and then jumpstart your body to start your new sleep cycle.

source: parentingsquad.com