Night Eating Syndrome Help and Treatment: This is an Eating Disorder like Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating

In order to get night eating syndrome help and treatment, you must think of it as an eating disorder like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. It 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.

Sep 7, 2008 6:45 PM

Guest :

I USED TO SUFFER FROM ANOREXIA, THEN BULIMIA, THEN ANOREXIA.. THIS BATTLE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
IVE BEEN GETTING HELP FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND I RECOVERED BUT I REALIZED I WAS EATING AT NIGHT AND TRYING TO AVOID EATING ANY OTHER TIME. I DIDNT KNOW THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM, I JUST THOUGHT THAT MY EATING HABBITS WERE WRONG...
BUT NOW I WILL TRY AND CHANGE THAT

Feb 4, 2009 8:36 PM

Guest :

With respect to the author, this article seems somewhat inaccurate, and glosses over a problem that those suffering from it do not need glossed over. If you are suffering from NES, you likely feel guilty, out of control, depressed or worse, and most of all, think that you're the only one, and that you're just lazy, or not disciplined.
I have just recently realized that there is a name for what I've been dealing with since I have been a child, and trust me, it will destroy your self-esteem, leave you feeling exhausted, and make you wonder why you just can't lose weight no matter what you do.
NES is not simply "not eating breakfast, then eating more later in the day" as the one-sentence description would lead one to believe.
Rather, NES is "an eating disorder, parasomnia, and mood disorder primarily characterized by a pattern of late-night binge eating."
"This is an ongoing, persistent behavior, not an occasional late snack or skipped meal. People with this disorder are often unaware of their nocturnal meals,[5] although some feel they won't be able to sleep without eating first, as people fall asleep more easily on a full stomach. Among those who are aware of their night eating, there is often an emotional component; the diet of the night eater is comfort food. People with NES were shown to have higher scores for depression and low self-esteem. Nocturnal melatonin and leptin are decreased [8]. Possibly, low serotonin levels may play a role."
The preceding information comes from Wikipedia, but just do a quick search for "Night Eating Syndrome" and you'll find a ton of helpful information.
The most important thing is to know that you're NOT ALONE, and there are ways to diagnose this condition, and most importntly, ways to treat it. I'm no doctor, and I won't tell you what to do, but just do a little research and you'll find tons of helpful information.
Don't give up!