Key Names: Nocturnal Eating Syndrome, Sleep-Related Eating, Sleep Eating Disorder, Night Eating Disorder, Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
Nocturnal Eating Syndrome (Sleep-Related Eating) is considered a parasomnia, and is a rare type of sleepwalking, a disorder of arousal. People with this disorder experience recurrent episodes of eating during sleep, without being aware of what they are doing. Sleep-related eating might occur often enough to result in significant weight gain. Although it can affect all ages and both sexes, it is more common in young women.
The Merk Manual has night-eating syndrome listed under the heading of obesity and has this to say about the syndrome: The night-eating syndrome consists of morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia (excessive ingestion of food), and insomnia. Attempts at weight reduction in the presence of these 2 conditions are inordinately difficult and may subject the patient to unnecessary distress.
Healthtouch - Parasomnias-Sleepwalking, Sleep Talking, Nightmares, Sleep Terrors, Sleep Eating
Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders - Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
Sleep eating disorder - BiSleep Main Basic Research Message Board
Sleep Eating Disorder or Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder(NS-RED) - Something Fishy on the Web
Nightly Noshers - ABC News
Diagnostic Classification Steering Committee, Thorpy MJ, Chairman. International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnostic and Coding Manual. Rochester, Minnesota: American Sleep Disorders Association, 1990.
Kryger, Meir H., Roth, Thomas, Dement, William C. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, 2nd Edition. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: W.B. Saunders Company, 1994.
Parasomnias: Things That Go Bump in the Night, A patient-education brochure. American Sleep Disorders Association, 1992
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