Anyone else have nighttime sleep eating disorder?

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dmn6789
dmn6789 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so this is going to sound CRAZY! But I have what they call "nighttime sleep eating disorder". I literally get up in the middle of the night and binge eat anything and everything (icecream, chips, peanut butter, crackers, you name it...). I wake up the next day feeling completely sick. It sucks because I'm semi aware that I'm doing it but there's no part of my mind telling me to stop. I've seen a sleep doc, was prescribed pills, and even put locks on the freezer, but nothing helps. It's so depressing bc I work so hard during the day to eat right and then ruin it in my sleep. Doc says it's a stress thing...? Anyone else suffer from this?
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  • invie
    invie Posts: 18 Member
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    I don't have it but I recently met someone who does. He's a 30yo veteran with PTSD but he isn't currently setting a therapist and hasn't talked to a professional about it. I'm not sure how you should address it but I guess a good way would be to look at whatever is causing you stress.


    As for my friend....I doubt there much to be done if he isn't going to therapy and..well isn't adjusting that well to civilian life. He gained a bit of a belly because he also ends up eating all the sweets even if he fasts the entire day. His eating habits are a bit off since there were times when he was deployed when he wouldn't get to eat for days so he's used to going an entire day on coffee and cigarettes then sleep eating.



    So you're not alone but it appears to be tied to stress.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    This isn't a problem I've had or have met anyone who has. I'd suggest a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. I'd also suggest not stocking the house with junk food. Can't eat what you don't have!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    I had a bit of it, and I knew a girl who had it every night! She'd eat butter sandwiches standing over the sink :( She moved, so I don't know if she ever got rid of it.

    Mine was actually after I'd been at an extremely low weight, after I finally got a diagnosis for what was wrong. It was a vitamin malabsorption, so nothing difficult to treat once it was figured out. So I was eating normally and happy to be gaining back my muscles and had no food issues or restrictions at all. But before I'd wake up, I'd sleepwalk to find any chocolate in the house! Nothing else, just the chocolate. I'd eat several handfuls! I was a sleepwalker as a kid and still do weird stuff in my sleep, and that one stopped as mysteriously as it started.

    How do you get into the locks? When I was a preteen and would roam sleepwalking, I'd wake myself up trying to unlock my bedroom door and by turning on the light (once I started locking it).

    I could get around that sort of thing nowadays, I bet. I pretend I'm awake in my sleep and so folks have to know to trick me with difficult math questions so they know whether I'm awake or still napping, sleeping in, etc. It sounds silly, but it's really screwed up plans and news given to me that I sound like I'm awake when people call! I lie to them with my answers to important questions while asleep, so it's all kinds of crazy. Simple math problems don't work because I give the answer. Hard ones wake me up, lol! So they work.

    Maybe a combination lock would work? Or a really bright motion-sensing light (or both)? I'm just brainstorming here, but I know how crazy it feels! It's amazing what all can be done while asleep.
  • irishdancer214
    irishdancer214 Posts: 108 Member
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    dmn6789 wrote: »
    Ok so this is going to sound CRAZY! But I have wHave hat they call "nighttime sleep eating disorder". I literally get up in the middle of the night and binge eat anything and everything (icecream, chips, peanut butter, crackers, you name it...). I wake up the next day feeling completely sick. It sucks because I'm semi aware that I'm doing it but there's no part of my mind telling me to stop. I've seen a sleep doc, was prescribed pills, and even put locks on the freezer, but nothing helps. It's so depressing bc I work so hard during the day to eat right and then ruin it in my sleep. Doc says it's a stress thing...? Anyone else suffer from this?

    Unfortunately I do not have this issue, but I have heard about it before. Have you tried anything to reduce stress? ...and how long have you had this issue?
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    dmn6789 wrote: »
    Ok so this is going to sound CRAZY! But I have what they call "nighttime sleep eating disorder". I literally get up in the middle of the night and binge eat anything and everything (icecream, chips, peanut butter, crackers, you name it...). I wake up the next day feeling completely sick. It sucks because I'm semi aware that I'm doing it but there's no part of my mind telling me to stop. I've seen a sleep doc, was prescribed pills, and even put locks on the freezer, but nothing helps. It's so depressing bc I work so hard during the day to eat right and then ruin it in my sleep. Doc says it's a stress thing...? Anyone else suffer from this?

    I have something similar. Except I'm wide awake. And it's usually after I exercise!



    Seriously though, I've seen several people post about this happening, but have no idea what causes it. And I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention any treatment they have had for it either.

    It seems a lot of people sleepwalk at earlier stages of life, and many in some sort of semi conscious state of mind. But what makes us stop? I actually remember examples where my parents told me to go back to sleep and the next morning I would remember it, but at the time never really understood that I was still for all purposes asleep.
  • dmn6789
    dmn6789 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks guys for your concern. As one of you mentioned, I too think it might partially be related to a vitamin deficiency. I started doing it when I become too thin about 3 years ago. I have seen a therapist about it ( no help) and the locks worked for the food in the fridge, but everything else I would eat ( 8 pieces of cinnamon toast haha). Now that I don't diet at strictly as I did, I don't do it as often, but the downfall of that is I've gained 20 lbs in the last two years. Totally sucks
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
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    My brother does this, he is partially awake but has a crazy compulsion to ram as many biscuits or that type of thing in his mouth as possible! He only vaguely remembers it the next day! Very strange
  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
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    I used to eat in my sleep. I would wake up with a vague recollection of it, sort of like remembering a dream... and then there would be evidence in the kitchen, so I always knew when it happened. For me, the issue was related to blood glucose levels, so make sure you speak to your doctor about it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    dmn6789 wrote: »
    Ok so this is going to sound CRAZY! But I have what they call "nighttime sleep eating disorder". I literally get up in the middle of the night and binge eat anything and everything (icecream, chips, peanut butter, crackers, you name it...). I wake up the next day feeling completely sick. It sucks because I'm semi aware that I'm doing it but there's no part of my mind telling me to stop. I've seen a sleep doc, was prescribed pills, and even put locks on the freezer, but nothing helps. It's so depressing bc I work so hard during the day to eat right and then ruin it in my sleep. Doc says it's a stress thing...? Anyone else suffer from this?

    What are the sleep pills you were prescribed? Ambien is known to cause sleep eating: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/health/14sleep.html

    Do you try to make up for your sleep eating by depriving yourself the next day? That will lead to more sleep eating.

    What's your BMI?

    For the stress, try gentle yoga before bed.
  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
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    I can relate to this as I experience night terrors and I act out against the things I see (attack my bed partners, claw at windows to escape poison gas, that sort of thing). I can relate to not being in your right mind or in control of your actions at all.

    I always remember my experiences even though I could not control them. So far no night eating.

    The intensity and frequency of my experiences are linked to stress. I was told once by a doctor that there is some sort of chemical that the body releases which is meant to inhibit movement, which is lacking in sleep walkers/night terror sufferers. I never met a doctor that really knew what was going on with this though, they just seemed to want to pat me on the head and ask me to describe the weird things.

    Good luck, I hope you can over come this.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I have heard of this and seen it documented on sensationalistic tv shows, but to me there does seem to be at least part of the conscious brain at work, because there's always one catch to the sleep eating: the sufferers always go for hyper-palatable foods.

    I've never seen or heard of people sleep eating salad or broccoli.

    The only solution, it would seem, would be to not have these foods available to eat, if you're going to be eating them in a half-awake state without being able to exercise full control of your faculties. And that's really unfortunate.

    I'd suggest seeing an eating disorders professional as well.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    I have heard of this and seen it documented on sensationalistic tv shows, but to me there does seem to be at least part of the conscious brain at work, because there's always one catch to the sleep eating: the sufferers always go for hyper-palatable foods.

    I've never seen or heard of people sleep eating salad or broccoli.

    The only solution, it would seem, would be to not have these foods available to eat, if you're going to be eating them in a half-awake state without being able to exercise full control of your faculties. And that's really unfortunate.

    I'd suggest seeing an eating disorders professional as well.

    I have never done this, but it seems to me PeacnyCarol is spot on. I think this is a situation where not bringing certain foods into the home is apporpriate.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    dmn6789 wrote: »
    Ok so this is going to sound CRAZY!

    It doesn't. I think a significant minority of people suffer from parasomnias (of which sleep eating in one form. I have spoken to people who have other forms which include sleep paralysis which sounds incredibly disconcerting.)

    You've done the right thing by being assessed. How are your sleep patterns and sleep routine generally? Is there a pattern to the type or types of things you eat (many sleep eaters are indiscriminate in what they consume and eat not only food but a whole host of strange things from paper to cigarettes...)

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    There are certain treatments that are being tried like pramipexole. Talk to your doctor, read up on the issue. It isn't crazy or unheard of.

    (I have a daughter that regularly sleep walks and is found standing in the kitchen. I expect it will likely resolve itself.)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    There are certain treatments that are being tried like pramipexole. Talk to your doctor, read up on the issue. It isn't crazy or unheard of.

    (I have a daughter that regularly sleep walks and is found standing in the kitchen. I expect it will likely resolve itself.)

    Our daughter was a sleep walker who frequently wound up in the kitchen too. It's ... actually what got her to start wearing night clothes.

    It did eventually resolve itself.
  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
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    What about getting a motion detector that will beep/alarm you when you start sleepwalking? Maybe it will startle you into waking up.

    Or, if you live with someone else, have them put a lock on the fridge/pantry/kitchen door, and have them sleep with the key around their neck.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Chalk me up to another parent who has a child who used to sleep walk which eventually resolved.

    My wife used to suffer from night terrors as well which made the early days of our courtship interesting to say the least. She hasn't had an episode in many years but it is what caused me to look into the subject in the first place.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Caitwn wrote: »
    To the OP: You need to continue working with the sleep doc. There's more than one way to tackle your problem, but you need to stay in touch with your specialists. Speak with your prescribing physician about trying other medications (there are a few different categories of medications that can help with this disorder), and focus on addressing any symptoms related to depression or stress - see a therapist if needed, and request someone with a specialty in cognitive behavioral therapy.

    And please forgive me for mentioning it, but I don't know you - and this is an issue for some (but not all) with the disorder - so if you have any problems at all with drinking too much or any other form of substance abuse, know that it can contribute to your sleep eating.

    Three small things you can do that can help: (1) while you are losing weight, plan your meals and balance your macros so that you don't feel hungry during the day. Ask here for help/suggestions in how to plan your meals for better satiety if you need to. (2) if there are specific foods that you really crave and wish for, plan your eating/calories to allow for these in small quantities. (3) There's some indication that exercise can help - nobody is sure yet if this is because of the actual physiological effect of exercise or if the exercise helps with the negative body image that is often associated with the disorder.

    And please do let your doctors know that so far you're not getting any relief - this disorder can be dangerous, as people consume non-food items, toxic substances, or spoiled food when they are in the twilight sleep state, and/or can injure themselves with can openers, knives, etc. while 'preparing' whatever they are trying to eat. Best of luck to you. This one is tough to deal with, but there is help out there. Be persistent in asking for it, and good luck to you.

    That's some scary stuff! Thanks for the education on the subject.
  • msegalrubin
    msegalrubin Posts: 10 Member
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    This is not crazy: it is called NES -- night eating syndrome. Try googling 'night eating syndrome" in quotes. In NES your levels of melatonin often go down at night and cortisol goes up -- it should actually be the opposite. Try researching magnesium supplements and see if that helps. I take 3 valerian capsules, one melatonin (1.5 mg) one melatonin timed release (3 mg), one At Ease PM (Redd Remedies) at bedtime and magnesium (do research to find what level you need) sustained release throughout the day. Good luck! I've found doctors are generally useless for this and you need to do your own research to find out what's best for you (had sleep studies, etc.)

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