Midnight feasts were an institution when I was at boarding school especially around birthdays when parcels of delectable delights arrived.
We gorged ourselves silly and woke the next morning with an indulgence hangover, crumbs in the bed and not feeling like breakfast.
People who suffer from Night Eating Syndrome (NES) face similar morning after hangovers following a night eating session and are often surprised at the evidence in the kitchen the next day.
Unlike our group at school where we had planned the activity many people who get up and eat are often unaware they are doing it or know why it may be happening.
Night Eating Syndrome was first recognized back in 1955 and reported in The American Journal of Medicine but it is only in the past few years that more attention has been paid to it and research conducted into the syndrome.
NES is characterized by eating comforter foods that are high in sugar and fat such as biscuits, bread, milk drinks and ice cream during the evening and overnight.
It is different from binge eating where a lot of food is eaten at one sitting.
NES is continual eating over time.
The foods eaten are typical of the types of foods that depressed and stressed people turn to.
It is followed by a decrease in appetite in the morning and generally during the day.
It can be distressing for the sufferer as they often don't feel in control of what is happening.
NES has been associated with obesity, depression, alcohol, anxiety and stress.
The longer NES is suffered the more likely it is that weight gain will be an issue.
There is some debate as to whether it is an eating disorder, a sleep disorder or both.
Some of the other symptoms suffered can be sleep walking, other sleeping disturbances such as waking frequently or unable to get to sleep, sleep apnea and restless legs.
Regardless of the diagnosis, night eating needs to be addressed as it has long term health implications and becomes another risk factor for diabetes and heart disease.
For people with diabetes the night eating will upset control and weight gain will be inevitable making diabetes harder to manage.
Counseling for an eating disorder or sleep disorder will be needed to address the underlying factors contributing to this distressing condition.
We gorged ourselves silly and woke the next morning with an indulgence hangover, crumbs in the bed and not feeling like breakfast.
People who suffer from Night Eating Syndrome (NES) face similar morning after hangovers following a night eating session and are often surprised at the evidence in the kitchen the next day.
Unlike our group at school where we had planned the activity many people who get up and eat are often unaware they are doing it or know why it may be happening.
Night Eating Syndrome was first recognized back in 1955 and reported in The American Journal of Medicine but it is only in the past few years that more attention has been paid to it and research conducted into the syndrome.
NES is characterized by eating comforter foods that are high in sugar and fat such as biscuits, bread, milk drinks and ice cream during the evening and overnight.
It is different from binge eating where a lot of food is eaten at one sitting.
NES is continual eating over time.
The foods eaten are typical of the types of foods that depressed and stressed people turn to.
It is followed by a decrease in appetite in the morning and generally during the day.
It can be distressing for the sufferer as they often don't feel in control of what is happening.
NES has been associated with obesity, depression, alcohol, anxiety and stress.
The longer NES is suffered the more likely it is that weight gain will be an issue.
There is some debate as to whether it is an eating disorder, a sleep disorder or both.
Some of the other symptoms suffered can be sleep walking, other sleeping disturbances such as waking frequently or unable to get to sleep, sleep apnea and restless legs.
Regardless of the diagnosis, night eating needs to be addressed as it has long term health implications and becomes another risk factor for diabetes and heart disease.
For people with diabetes the night eating will upset control and weight gain will be inevitable making diabetes harder to manage.
Counseling for an eating disorder or sleep disorder will be needed to address the underlying factors contributing to this distressing condition.
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