Symptoms and Behavior
People who suffer from night eating syndrome generally:
- Skip breakfast, and go several hours after waking before their first meal.
- Consume at least 25% of their calories after dinner. (Many sources would list this as after 9 or 10 pm; dessert is generally not included, if one is eaten.)
- Late-night binges almost always consist of consuming carbohydrates. (Carbohydrates tend to shoot messages to the brain to produce serotonin, which induces sleep.) However, this eating is typically spread over several hours, which is not consistent with a typical eating binge as evidenced by other eating disorders. Episodes of late-night binge-eating can be repeated throughout the night, with many separate visits to the fridge or cupboard.
- Suffer from depression or anxiety, often in connection with their eating habits.
- Affect and arousal decrease throughout the day with the lowest levels being in the middle of night-eating episodes.
- These night eating episodes typically bring guilt rather than hedonistic enjoyment.
- Have trouble sleeping in general; see insomnia.
- Are more likely than the general public to sleepwalk.
To be considered a bona fide disorder, this pattern should continue for two months or more.
Read more about this topic: Night Eating Syndrome
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