Are You at Risk for Sleep Eating Disorder?

You've heard of binge eating, undereating, and extreme dieting that are all variations of eating disorders affecting millions of Americans today. While all of these take place during waking hours, a recent study suggests that many people may be suffering from a different phenomenon: sleep eating disorder.

What is Sleep Eating Disorder?

Sleep eating disorder is addressed in the book Sleep: The Mysteries, The Problems, and The Solutions by Carlos H. Schenck, M.D. The book describes different situations where people are deprived from high quality sleep, and potential causes of each problem. The most interesting topic is the instances of sleep eating disorder. According to Dr. Schenk's book, many sufferers struggle with dieting and weight loss because they simply eat large amounts of food while they are still asleep. Sufferers are literally sleepwalking to the kitchen, eating their (perhaps dream amounts) food, and going back to bed. The result is often rapid weight gain along with daytime fatigue and a series of emotional side effects such as shame and embarrassment at the amount of food that has suddenly disappeared.

Are You at Risk for Sleep Eating Disorder?

If you're experiencing excessive stress and anxiety in your life and have difficulty relaxing, you may be at risk for sleep eating disorder. A family history of night terrors can also play a role in developing sleep eating disorder and related behaviors. A 'waking hour' eating disorder can also be the precursor to a full-fledged sleep eating disorder, especially in cases where overeating and bingeing are making it difficult to manage food intake and causing excessive hunger at odd times of the day. Other risk factors for sleep eating disorder include alcohol abuse, smoking, and taking antidepressant medication.

Determining if You Have Sleep Eating Disorder