“I don’t remember any of it,” says Monica, a 35-year-old resident of Glenside, Pa. “I would wake up in the morning with clear evidence of having eaten at night — food sweets, you name it. I thought that I was going crazy.”
Monica has Sleep Eating Disorder, a rare disorder that is gaining increasing focus from professionals in the sleep and eating disorder fields. Sleep eating is characterized by sleepwalking and nighttime overeating. Sleep eaters share many of the same characteristics as sleepwalkers. Sleep eaters may experience excessive daytime sleepiness and are often emotionally distressed, angry, or anxious. Sleep eaters are also at risk for the similar health problems as compulsive overeaters, including significant weight gain. As with compulsive eating, the seriousness of the problem depends on the duration and severity of sleep eating. Long-term sleep eating increases risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strain on the body’s organs and bone deterioration.
Sleep eaters are unaware of their behavior. Any memory of the episode is vague. A sleep eater may roam the house, centering on the kitchen, and may eat large quantities of food, such as in a daytime binge. In the morning, sleep eaters generally have no recollection of the episode.
Monica was initially baffled and scared by evidence that food had been consumed during the night. It wasn’t until a friend from college stayed overnight with her and reported seeing her in the kitchen eating that Monica recognized the problem for what it was and was able to seek help.
Like Monica, sleep eaters tend to consume food that is high in sugar or fat. Odd combinations of foods, such as tortilla chips dipped in cake icing and as non-food items, have been reported.
Sleep eating is classified as a parasomnia. It is an atypical version of sleepwalking, which is an arousal disorder.
It is estimated that 1 to 3 percent of the population has sleep eating disorder. Among people with other eating disorders as many as 10 to 15 percent have sleep eating disorder. Sleep eating is more common in younger women, and symptoms typically begin in the late 20s. Episodes may reoccur, in combination with a stressful situation, or an episode may occur only once or twice. Many parasomnias run in families, which may indicate a genetic link. Because sleep eating occurs in people that are dieting and emotionally distressed, attempts at weight loss may be unsuccessful and cause even more stress.
The first step in treating any sleep disorder is to look at any underlying causes. Stress management and individual counseling may help decrease anxiety that can contribute to nighttime bingeing. Dietary changes such as smaller, more frequent meals, and reducing intake of caffeine or alcohol may also help.
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