The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus including a sheet stacking portion, a feeding roller, a biasing member, and a cam member, wherein a predetermined idling section in which the feeding roller does not work with rotation of the feeding shaft is provided between the feeding roller and the feeding shaft, the sheet feeding apparatus comprises a returning mechanism which returns the feeding roller to the initial feeding position after the feeding roller finishes feeding the sheet on the sheet stacking portion, and when a sheet feeding operation is started, at a time when the cam member starts rotating together with the feeding shaft and passes the idling section, the feeding roller starts rotating, feeds out the sheet on the sheet stacking portion and then is returned to the initial feeding position by the returning mechanism.