night eating disorders

raxhel

does anyone suffer from night eating disorders ? like waking up in the middle of the night to eat large quantities of food . if you do , how do you overcome them ?

Walterj

usually beer induced, lol...but yeah, do good all day then ruin it at night, i feel your pain

taso42_DELETED

what are you eating habits like during the day? does it happen regardless of whether or not you've had your full allotment of calories during the day?

jessicajones1022

My husband suffered with that for a long time. He found that drinking a LOT of water throughout the day helps. At night when you're hungry, try try try (i know it's hard) to drink a glass or two of water. Maybe hang some positive reminders on the fridge or in your room. I hope it gets better. I'm rooting for you!!!

mkennedym

if you are hungry, i don't see how it is a disorder. if you wake up in the middle of the night, aren't hungry, but eat a ton of food anyway, then yeah maybe i can see that as a problem.

angiemartin78

I used to do this. It started when I was pregnant with my first child. I still ate during the night until she was about 3 years old and then I just stopped. When I became pregnant with my son, I started it again and continued until Jan of this year (he is now 3). I just don't do it anymore. If I wake up hungry during the night, I just drink some water or maybe a little juice. Since I have been exercising more regularly, I don't wake up at all.

squeaktones

it happens to me alot. i try to leave extra calories for this because i know i am going to end up snacking at some point and time during the night. i think most of my eating is anxiety induced,

strapple

im a sleepwalker

there i said it

im not a psycho and i dont have any deep mental issues
im just a very rare adult sleepwalker ( i never did it as a child )

there have been times when ive found evidence that i eat while i sleepwalk and my mom has caught me 'preparing food' in my sleep before too, or standing in front of the open fridge staring at nothing

im not very sure how to stop it but my biggest worry honestly is walking into a swimming pool or into heavy traffic so i havent really thought of how to stop the eating.

if you're sleepwalking i suggest that you let someone you live with know so they can help by observing your behavior while you're doing it (that rule about never waking a sleepwalker is total garbage btw. tell them to go ahead and wake you)
my husband knows i sleepwalk so if he sees me up he always gently takes my shoulders and looks at me to make sure im actually awake

its annoying when i actually am but it really helps. when i was still at home my mother did the same. ive woken up with giant bruises from falling while sleepwalking before, so im very thankful to have people watching my back.

JanerZzz

Are you talking about sleep walking and eating? Like you don't realize you are doing it and eating strange things? or is it night time cravings and you end up snacking a lot before bed?

MrsSorenson

I did that a lot when I first had my daughter and I was up every two hours, and I would eat EVERY TIME. I'm not sure about when you are consuming mass quantities of food. But I do have issues with wanting a snack around 9-10 every night. My husband can eat anything and he doesn't gain a pound! I do as some of the other suggested drink lots of water, and keep a glass in front of you while you are relaxing at the end of the night. You will feel full, and hopefully you won't feel the need to Binge eat at night. Stay Strong, you are on here asking questions, so you are ready to make the change.

callipygianchronicle

Night eating syndrome is a form of of sleep walking. Some people suffer it as a side effect of sleeping pills, like Ambien. If you take any anti-depressants or sleeping aids and are experiencing night eating, you need to talk to your doctor so that adjustments can be made. But even if it is not drug induced, it requires professional treatment. It’s not just something that you overcome. Some additional information can be found here: http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/how-to-treat-night-eating-syndrome/

mumma2boyz

Is it involuntary? I have had friends that "sleepwalk" to the kitchen and eat, but they don't wake up until they are almost done the snack. Have you seen a doctor? Maybe you have a vitamin or hormone deficiency that could explain it.

hpsnickers1

if you are hungry, i don't see how it is a disorder. if you wake up in the middle of the night, aren't hungry, but eat a ton of food anyway, then yeah maybe i can see that as a problem.

This. I would be posing this question to a doctor or psychologist. There could possibly be an underlying issue. And you're at a healthy weight. Calorie restriction (and cardio if you do it) will just cause muscle loss. Your body wants to hang onto what little fat you have.

http://www.hussmanfitness.org/html/TPAdaptation.html

Working With Your Body - The Basic Strategy
By John P. Hussman, Ph.D.
All rights reserved and actively enforced.


Every change you throw at your body triggers a response. The problem with many diet and exercise programs is that they can accidentally encourage your body to defend fat, shed muscle, increase appetite and even lower its metabolism. The key to fast results is to know exactly which actions will cause your body to adapt by becoming fitter.


The law of unintended consequences
Your body is an amazing feedback system aimed at balance and survival. Humans are at the top of the food chain because they are able to adapt to their environment. Every action produces a reaction. Every change in its environment triggers a survival response. It's important to keep that in mind when you plan your fitness program. If you treat your body as an enemy to be conquered, you'll produce unintended results.

For example, if you severely cut off the supply of food to your body, it will defend itself by slowing down its metabolism to survive starvation. The body will shed muscle mass the same way that you would throw cargo from a plane that was low on fuel, and it will reduce its thyroid activity to conserve energy. The body will also actually defend its fat stores. In anorexia, muscle loss can be so profound that fat as a percentage of body weight actually rises. Extreme carbohydrate restriction also causes muscle loss, dehydration, and slower metabolism, which is why even successful Atkins dieters can have a significant rebound in weight after they stop the diet (don't worry – the advice on this site will prevent that from happening).

As another example, if you put your body under stress through overexertion and lack of sleep, it will respond by slowing down, reducing muscle growth, and increasing your appetite for junk food, carbohydrates and fat. If you feed your body excessive amounts of sugar and quickly digested carbohydrates, and it will shut off its ability to burn fat until those sugars are taken out of the bloodstream.

This website will show you how to work with your body to quickly produce the changes you want. In order to do that, you need to take actions that push your body to adapt – to build strength, burn fat, and increase fitness. You need a training program, not an exercise routine. You need a nutrition plan, not a diet. You need a challenge, not a few good habits you usually try to follow except when you don't.

Setting the right goal
John Dewey once said that a problem well-stated is half-solved. If you want to reach your goal, you have to define it correctly. See, a lot of people say “I want to lose weight.” Well, if losing weight is your goal, go on a no-carb diet. You'll lose a lot of weight – some of it will be fat, a lot of it will be water, and a dangerous amount will be muscle tissue. You'll lose weight quickly, but you'll slow your metabolism and gain fat more quickly once you go off the diet. Trust me on this. I've been there, done that.

The problem is that you've set the wrong goal. If you want to look better, have more energy and enjoy better health, the goal is not simply to “lose weight.” The goal is to improve your fitness level and body composition. That means losing fat, improving your aerobic capacity, training your strength and defending your muscle tissue. You can't do that with a no-carb diet. You will do it using the approach you'll learn on this website. Trust me on this one too. I know what it's like to feel fat, tired and helplessly out of shape. The whole point of this site is to help others avoid that, by sharing lessons that I had to learn the hard way.
Ready to change?

Right this minute, your body is the way it is because it has adapted to the lifestyle you've thrown at it, in an attempt to survive. Ever seen the directory at the mall with the little red arrow that says “you are here”? Well, fitness is the same way. You are here. You can't start anywhere else. So be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up. Don't worry about how much there is to do. Change your self-talk from “My body is my enemy” to “My body is my partner.” Accept where you are right now as the starting point, and start moving.

Changing your body requires more than just “going on a diet” for a few weeks. If you want to change your body, you have to make some changes to your lifestyle (which requires some discipline, but isn't as hard as it sounds). If you create the right environment, your body will adapt to it by becoming leaner, stronger, and more energetic. You can do this.

strapple

Night eating syndrome is a form of of sleep walking. some people suffer it as a side effect of sleeping pills, like Ambien. If you take any anti-depressants or sleeping aids and are experiencing night eating, you need to talk to your doctor so that adjustments can be made. But even if it is not drug induced, it requires professional treatment. It’s not just something that you overcome. Some additional information can be found here: http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/how-to-treat-night-eating-syndrome/

yes this! i strongly suggest not taking ambien for insomnia. it usually is more harmful than helpful and can be incredibly addictive. i took it for a week and have never sleptwalked so much in my life. plus the other side effects are horrible.

humblemonkey

If its sleepwalking...you should have someone you live with keep an eye on you or lock your cabinets... I took a patient who at dried apricots while she was sleepwalking and didnt chew them...once here saliva and body fluids absorbed into the dried fruit, they became large and lodged themself in her stomach and esophagus. She was choking on food she ate hours earlier...She ended up needing a surgical procedure to have them removed!!

Nikkerz620

I do it a lot and hate it. My father and brother both do it too.
I actually saw a special on it on T.V. once. Until then I thought I was weird lol.

I hate that I do it and sometimes I barely remember. SUCKS!!!

It got really bad when I was pregnant and now I go in spurts.

I try to drink tea before bed and keep zero junk in the house or out of sight if I can.
I keep grapes, berries, small pieces of strink cheese etc for something easy to grab incase I just can't overcome the urge in the middle of the night.

A half peanut butter sandwhich helps me also before bed.

I also keep flavored water next to the bed sometimes and that seems to help.

Check out this video:
http://cnettv.cnet.com/night-eating-syndrome/9742-1_53-50014398.html

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-related-eating-disorders
http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/night-eating-syndrome/menu-id-58/

I know CBS or someone had a special on once and it was amazing how bad some people were.

You are not alone and yes it's is a real thing for those who disbelieve.

Good luck!!!

ColeyCannoli

If its sleepwalking...you should have someone you live with keep an eye on you or lock your cabinets... I took a patient who at dried apricots while she was sleepwalking and didnt chew them...once here saliva and body fluids absorbed into the dried fruit, they became large and lodged themself in her stomach and esophagus. She was choking on food she ate hours earlier...She ended up needing a surgical procedure to have them removed!!

Oh goodness O_O
I hope she's okay.

mkennedym

you could always handcuff yourself to your bed like dr. jekyll.

strapple

you could always handcuff yourself to your bed like dr. jekyll.

i tried this once and almost broke my wrists trying to get out of bed

humblemonkey

If its sleepwalking...you should have someone you live with keep an eye on you or lock your cabinets... I took a patient who at dried apricots while she was sleepwalking and didnt chew them...once here saliva and body fluids absorbed into the dried fruit, they became large and lodged themself in her stomach and esophagus. She was choking on food she ate hours earlier...She ended up needing a surgical procedure to have them removed!!

Oh goodness O_O
I hope she's okay.

she is as far as i know!! interesting story from a medical perspective!!

catcrazy

I had a friend who sleep walked and ate...chocolate, crisps, dry breakfast cereal, whole boxes at a time! Basically anything in packets or boxes, she had to stop buying dried veg, pasta and rice as she would just shovel those in too and those posed a health problem as they swell inside you, imagine eating a 1/2 lb bag of them...thats what she did. The dr's wouldn't help her as she was skinny...was told if she started putting weight on to come back and they'd try treatment!

We tried alarms on her kitchen cupboards but they only woke her young son who was extremely upset at finding his zombie like stark naked mum shovelling food in like she hadnt eaten for days. Locking the cupboards didnt help either, she lived alone with her son, she had to know where the key was and in her sleep she'd still get it.

LElizabethL

When I was in high school, I used to eat when when I was stressed even if I wasn't hungry. It was the pressure of performing well in school. I found other ways to deal with the stress and I stopped. Perhaps your nightly binge eating is due to stress as well. I would suggest writing down what you are feeling/thinking when you feel like you are going to start your night binge. That way you can see what is stressing you out and deal with it rather than losing yourself in food. Good Luck!

kateminx

you could always handcuff yourself to your bed like dr. jekyll.

i tried this once and almost broke my wrists trying to get out of bed

I sleepwalk and my husband has to lock the doors so I dont know where the keys are - I wake up with dirty feet .. so have been taking trips outside ! I also try to cut food - knives are moved sometimes and doors left open - usual signs! Hubby gets very freaked out when Im just standing over him
Dont eat though!

gable39

the biggest reason I am obese is from night eating. I began taking Ambien a few years ago and gained 60 lbs! I can eat normla calorie amounts during the day but eat up to 1500 calories at night.
I know I need to quit Ambien but I cannot sleep withott it, I am going to get some help for this problem, but it is really difficult!

gable39

It's really hard, I am half asleep and I will eat up hundreds of calories. I take Ambien so I know this is a major contributor to why I eat at night. I am obese because of this. I am going to my Dr tomorrow to talk to her about it. Addiction sucks

me1howard

don't know if you are still on here, but I have the same problem! I'm not even aware that i have eaten! Can certainly relate!

gable39

I have been able to quit taking Ambien and it has helped enormously. It was rough at first but now I sleep like a normal person. Well worth the 2 mos of inadequate sleep to be able to be off that stuff!