Nocturnal Eating
Posted on: September 28th, 2013
According to WebMD, 10 to 15% of people affected by eating disorders have behaviors that are nocturnal in nature. One of the lesser known disordered eating behaviors, Night Eating Syndrome or NES, causes a person to wake at night with an uncontrollable urge to eat. After eating, the individual can usually go back to sleep, but often has no appetite at breakfast time. Interestingly, the person is typically not hungry at dinner either, but rather consumes much of his or her daily caloric intake in the late evenings or upon waking at night.
The emotional triggers for Night Eating Syndrome can range from depression to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or it may even be linked to other eating disorders such as bulimia. Even dieting can cause a person to be hungry at night and evolve into Night Eating Syndrome. Left untreated, NES can lead to weight gain. Moreover, the unhealthy consumption of calories at night can lead to other health problems associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension.
Unlike some other nocturnal eating behaviors, which take place while a person sleeps, Night Eating Syndrome occurs when a person is fully conscious. The eating episodes can be long in duration unlike a quick run to the kitchen for a snack. The type of food consumed is usually sugary or high in carbohydrates. Because the individual gets up at night to eat, he or she is aware of the pattern of persistent eating at night. In this regard, NES is somewhat easier to recognize than some of the other nocturnal eating behaviors.
The medical community still has much to learn about nocturnal eating. However, because those suffering from NES tend to eat high carbohydrate and sugar laden foods, there is a sense that a person with NES may be self-medicating an underlying emotional issue and eating for comfort. Therefore, treatment for the emotional trigger as well as the physical side effects is imperative.
If you or someone in your family suffers from NES, contact Maureen Kritzer-Lange Psychotherapy, and we will construct a program that will both normalize eating patterns and work to address the underlying causes of the condition.
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