Nocturnal Eating Disorder Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
A nocturnal eating disorder is a condition that involves episodes of uncontrollable eating or drinking behavior while asleep. A person may be partially or completely unconscious while preparing and consuming the food. This can occur with little to no memory of the act the next day.
Nocturnal eating disorders can be dangerous because a person can injure himself while preparing food or can consume inedible or toxic food. Disordered nocturnal eating can also impact health and lead to weight gain and obesity resulting from a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet.
Nocturnal eating disorders can coexist with some medications, eating disorders, and other sleep disorders. Addressing the eating disorder can often help overcome a person’s nocturnal eating disorder.
Nocturnal Eating Disorder Symptom
Nocturnal eating disorders are a type of parasomnia, which are abnormal activities or behaviors that occur just before falling asleep, during sleep, or just after waking up.
Episodes of nocturnal eating disorder generally occur during the first half of the night’s sleep and can include:
- Frequent episodes of uncontrollable consumption of food or drink, usually every night.
- Impaired consciousness when preparing and consuming food.
- Very little or no memory of the behavior the next day.
- Eating high-carb, high-fat foods, or unusual combinations of foods.
- Likely to eat inedible or toxic foods, such as frozen meals, coffee beans, cleaning fluids, or cigarette butts.
- Likelihood of injury or involvement in hazardous food preparation activities.
- Not easily awakened or distracted during an episode.
- Experiencing negative effects on health from eating patterns at night.
Nocturnal Eating Disorder Reason
Nocturnal eating disorders generally occur during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep phase, during the first half of a night’s sleep. This condition is also associated with the transition from the sleep phase from the NREM phase to a phase that makes it easier for a person to wake up.
The exact mechanism by which this condition occurs is unknown. However, nocturnal eating disorders often occur in people with a history of sleepwalking. So the two conditions can be related.
Nocturnal sleep disturbances are more common in women and generally begin to appear in the teens or young adults. An increased risk for experiencing nocturnal sleep disturbances can occur if there are:
- Other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, sleepwalking, narcolepsy, and so on.
- Use of hypnotic sleeping pills as well as several other types of drugs, such as anti-depressants and anti-psychotics
- Another eating disorders, such as bulimia or anorexia
- Another mental disorder, such as stress, anxiety, or depression
- Immediate family members, such as a parent, child, or sibling, with nocturnal eating disorder or sleepwalking
- History of sleep deprivation
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of nocturnal eating disorder may include:
- Physical examination. The doctor may ask about the medical history to rule out other underlying causes of nocturnal eating disorders.
- Review of sleep habits. In addition to asking about sleep patterns, doctors can also ask people with these conditions to fill out a questionnaire to determine sleep-wake patterns and the level of sleepiness during the day. Sufferers can also record a sleep journal for several weeks. In addition, information from bed partners, parents, or other household members can also be useful.
- Sleep analysis. Your doctor may recommend analyzing recorded sleep patterns, which is known as a polysomnography. This test monitors and records a number of bodily activities while asleep, including brain waves, breathing patterns, heart rate, eye movements, and body movements.
Nocturnal Eating Disorder Treatment
Treatment for nocturnal eating disorders that can include:
- Stopping medication that can be a trigger. This can include stopping or changing current medications that may contribute to the development of nocturnal eating disorders.
- Coping with other sleep disorders. Nocturnal eating disorders can be relieved by treating other sleep disorders that often coexist, such as sleepwalking or obstructive sleep apnea.
- Security strategy. The doctor can recommend strategies to ensure safety and offer education to bed partners or other household members on how to get the person back to bed without restraining or waking them.
- Treatment. If other strategies don’t work, your doctor may recommend medication. The type of drug used depends on the cause of the nocturnal sleep disturbance and if there are other accompanying sleeping or eating disorders.
Prevention
Because the causes of nocturnal eating disorders are not known with certainty, there is no prevention strategy that is completely effective in avoiding this condition. However, maintaining good sleep patterns and ensuring that a person gets the ideal quality and duration of sleep can help reduce the risk of developing this condition.