Night Eating Syndrome or Sleep Eating – An Eating and Sleep Disorder

Night eating syndrome or sleep eating can fall into the category of either a sleep disorder or an eating disorder. Researchers have found that most individuals that suffer from it have concerns about their eating habits while they are awake. While it may sound quite absurd that a person is able to eat while they are sleeping it has been identified as a real disorder that people have.

There are several different symptoms of sleep eating though that have been recognized. Too many people simply classify it as sleepwalking because the person gets out of bed and then goes to find someone eating. The fact that they are still in a sleeping mode though is very unusual. It can also be dangerous if they are using appliances in the kitchen to cook with such as the stove.

There is also the possibility of choking while sleep eating that needs to be addressed. You would think that the process of choking would result in the body waking up but that isn’t necessarily the case. At the very least sleep eating is going to result in some extra pounds being added, and that never helps a person with their overall health. The amount of food consumed during these episodes can be two or three times the amount of food they would normally eat at one setting.

Imagine waking up in the morning, walking to the kitchen to start your coffee, and seeing a mess of pots and pans in there. It is obvious that someone has been eating but who? When you live alone you may conclude that someone broke into your home while you slept and helped themselves to your groceries.

It is the least common of all sleep disorders as well as eating disorders. However, there does seem to be some type of genetic link in many instances. Researchers are still looking into how this particular type of behavior can be passed down to family members.

The concept of sleep eating is one that hasn’t been recognized for too long. There are a few substantial pieces of information known to tie it in with sleep disorders as well as with eating problems. However, there is still a tremendous amount of research that has to be done in order for it to be fully understood.