Night Eating Syndrome is categorized as individuals who don't eat early in the day, often skipping breakfast altogether.
They then eat a light lunch and by the end of the day, and approaching evening, they are famished. They will overeat for the latter part of the day out of their body's necessity for nourishment and repeat the cycle day after day.
The Merck Manual definition (1982 ed.) reports that a person who has Night Eating Syndrome behaves in an Anorexic way during the day, restricting and eating very little, and then displays signs of evening Hyperphagia (abnormally increased appetite for foods frequently associated with injury to the hypothalamus) and even Bulimic tendencies at night, but sometimes without the usual guilt.
Insomnia is also a common difficulty, with both falling and staying asleep. The over-consumption of food causes the body much distress and can begin to have problems with its regular functions.
Many can relate to this behaviour, as it's so common for people to relax after a long day of work in front of the TV, munching on a late night snack. If they haven't kept their body nourished throughout the day, then this is the time that they'll experience strong cravings and the urge to overeat.
Some are just piling too much into the day, while others are trying to eat very little in the day, hoping they will be able to get by without many calories. But the body's natural reaction is to send a signal asking for more food, which comes when the individual is distracted (television) or winding down for the evening.
Nighttime is also when feelings of loneliness, stress and boredom commonly emerge. This can lead to unconscious snacking and numbing of the emotions. Sleep patterns are almost always highly disrupted, leading to a recurring feeling of lethargy and lack of motivation.
Hormonal imbalance is a large factor: usually the level of melatonin (the "sleep" hormone) is significantly reduced, leptin (appetite suppressant) doesn't rise to normal levels, and cortisol (the "stress" hormone) rises, leading to wakefulness. Night eaters can wake up 1-3 times a night for a high-carbohydrate snack, which usually leads to weight gain.
Things you can do if you are experiencing Night Eating Syndrome:
- find non-food stress relievers
- eat small, regular meals throughout the day to avoid becoming ravenous
- eat breakfast
- put enough thought into your day that you don't skip a meal
- at night, eat foods rich in tryptophan (a sleep aid) such as turkey, halibut, salmon, string beans and chocolate milk
