Nocturnal Eating Syndrome A Food-Related Sleep Disorder

Nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is more common in women than men. It is one of two eating disorders that are related to sleep. The other is called sleep-related food disorder. Each of these eating disorders related to sleep are called "parasomnias".


Once out of bed and at the refrigerator, the compulsion to eat makes them gobble down food. People with this night-time eating disorder are fully awake and remember eating the food the next day. This syndrome is a combination of a sleep disorder and an eating disorder. Insomnia is also a factor in nocturnal eating syndrome.

Sleep-related eating disorder, as stated earlier, affects more women then men, and is a variation of sleepwalking. During an episode of this sleep disorder, a person will eat during partial arousal form a deep sleep.

Often they will eat very unhealthy or strange foods that they normally would not eat when awake. During an episode of sleep-related eating disorder, a person might eat frozen pizza, raw cookie dough, peanut butter on fish and even dog food. Often they are very careless and sloppy and may get burns or cuts while preparing the food.


Although the cause of food-related sleep disorder is not known, several triggers have been identified. Medications such as lithium, a mood stabilizer, and the benzodiazepine receptor zolpidem are two of those triggers. People with mood and personality disorders or psychological problems such as bulimia are at higher risk of developing one of these food-related sleep disorders. People suffering from other sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder or narcolepsy, are also at higher risk.



Treatment for this disorder is usually received from a mental health professional that specializes in people with eating disorders. Improving sleep hygiene can also help with this disorder. Regardless, seeking treatment from a medical or mental health professional is essential for good health in the treatment of sleep eating disorders.


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