Sleep eating ...

REDI4CHANGE60

Does anyone else have this problem? I take meds at night ... sometimes I take two Ambien instead of one (I am prescribed two) ... and occasionally I will find myself in the kitchen in the middle of the night eating whether I am hungry or not. Last night it was cheddar cheese over crackers - cutting a block of cheddar cheese with a sharp knife, layering over multigrain crackers, heating it up in the microwave, stumbing back to bed and going to sleep eating it (thankfullly I didn't even finish it before I was out again). That was just a bunch of fat and calories that I didn't need! BUT I logged it anyway ... trying to stay honest even when it hurts.

This sleep eating thing ... it's bad ... my husband comes in from work after I take my night meds, he rouses me up, and so my mind is not firing on all cylinders and I am not making good decisions. He knows I am out of it ... he has to lead me back to the bedroom most of time time, because I am stumbing around so bad ... and take the sharp knives away from me.

now_or_never12

It may be a good idea to speak with your doctor and see if there is another med that might work better and not cause you to get up in the middle of the night to eat.

Are you eating enough protein and fibre during the day? Drinking enough water? Are you eating enough during the day? If you aren't getting proper nutrients during the day that may cause you to sleep eat...possibly.

Can you set a table by the bed that you would hit getting up? That may wake you enough to stop you from going to the kitchen. It definately isn't safe to be handling knives when you aren't fully aware.

Ani45

How about if you lock the bedroom before going to sleep?

stines72

How about if you lock the bedroom before going to sleep?

fire hazard!

swisswife

How about if you lock the bedroom before going to sleep?

fire hazard!

That was my first .... then second thought...... maybe lock the kitchen door though ???

alaskaang

Can you stop taking or stick to one or less of the Ambien? If you are up in the middle of the night eating, stumbling around, whatever, it doesn't sound like it is helping you get a good nights sleep anyway.

msshiraz

I would talk to your Dr, and if you don't get a good answer, I'd get a 2nd opinion. The calories would be my last worry (I take Ambien, 1 dose is my prescription, although with weight loss and better eating during day, I have been able to cut it to 1/2 a pill most nights).

REDI4CHANGE60

Well, my dr just doubled my Seroquel from 200mg to 400mg at night ... and I may need to cut the Ambien to one until I get accustomed to the increased Seroquel. I haven't had the 'sleep eating' issue since I was cut to the 200mg Seroquel, but now that my dr decided to up me again it is starting again. I put all of my meds out for a week or two at a time, so I will decrease my Ambien to one 10mg, and 400mg of Seroquel and see if I sleep through the night.

I suffer from severe insomnia and it's a battle sleeping a few hours a night ... I just need something that works, but I don't need those extra calories!

momofthreesons

I may have some form of this. I am great all day, good in the evenings, then at night when I wake up I HAVE to eat. I dont know what it is. I gravitate toward the sugariest chocolatiest thing in the house. I had to stop keeping stuff in the kitchen like that. I eat a rice krispy (90 cal) or a piece of 2% cheese slice then go back to bed. I try to ALWAYS leave around 100 calories for the day just in case I wake up and this happens. I feel semi awake when doing it.. never turn on the light etc. If someone fully awakens me I have spat the food in the trash and glady went back to bed BEFORE I ate it because I wasnt really hungry. Nuts huh? yep I think so :-)

momofthreesons

Oh and I forgot to say I dont take any meds at all.. Advil rarely. Gummi vites are all the meds I take daily.

veggieluver2

I can relate to sleep/night eating. There's actually a board on MD Junction dedicated to it.

I'm not on Ambien or any other drugs that might cause this. I've had this problem for at least 7 years. I can say it has gotten better. The most I've ever gotten up was 5 times in one night. Seriously! I've tried putting my tirgger foods away--high up in a closet. I end up getting a chair out to get them down. Currently, I have a container of oatmeal in my car, because that's a trigger food. Sounds crazy, I know. I'll eat it dry with a scoop of peanut butter. I stopped buying peanut butter and cereal---trigger foods. If I want to eat something, I'll find something to eat.

I've told friends about this and they say "just don't do it." Or, drink a glass of water. I wish it was that easy--it's not. I haven't figured out if it's a sleep problem, eating disorder, or mental issue.

glitteredgrave

I'm not on ambien but I take Unisom to help me sleep. It's OTC. I notice that I have a strong urge to snack before bed... but I just though it was because I hadn't spaced my meals out properly.