For many people, eating at night means nothing more than munching on a small pre-bedtime snack. Your body's normal circadian rhythms help to ensure that you do most of your eating during the day and your sleeping at night, so an occasional late-night trip to the cookie jar typically won't harm your health. But nighttime eating becomes a problem when it disturbs your sleep, causes weight gain or leads to depression and self-image issues.
Night Eating Syndrome
Night eating syndrome, or NES, is an eating disorder often diagnosed in people who consume more than half of their daily calories after their evening meal. Individuals suffering from NES often awaken in the middle of the night to consume carbohydrate-heavy snacks and may experience feelings of worry, anxiety and guilt while doing so. Upon awakening in the morning, you typically won't feel like eating breakfast and may not want to eat for hours after rising. Although less than 2 percent of all adults have NES, up to one in four obese people suffer from it, according to R. Elaine Turner, registered dietitian and coauthor of "Nutrition."
Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
In a condition similar to sleepwalking, people who suffer from sleep-related eating disorder, or SRED, consume food while they sleep. Most people who suffer from SRED don't remember their nocturnal eating binges, which typically occur at least once nightly. Food items consumed during an episode often are prepared hastily and may result in injury, depending upon the utensils, such as knives and forks, used to prepare and serve the food. Many people with SRED often experience other sleep disorders, such as sleepwalking and restless leg syndrome, and most develop weight problems.
Studies
Nighttime eating may increase your risk of packing on excess pounds, according to an animal study published in the November 2009 issue of "Obesity." Researchers, led by Dr. Fred Turek, director of Northwestern University's Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, fed high-fat foods to nocturnally active mice at different times of the day for a six-week period. The group of mice that ate during nighttime hours -- their active period -- experienced an average weight increase of 20 percent. The mice that ate during daylight hours -- their normal sleeping period -- experienced an average weight increase of 48 percent. Additional studies are necessary to determine whether humans would gain weight in the same fashion.
Considerations
Talk to your primary care doctor if you suspect you might have a nighttime eating problem. Depending upon your symptoms, he may ask you to stay in a sleep lab for a sleep study, which monitors your brain activity while you're at rest. Treatment varies, depending upon the diagnosis and severity of the condition, and may include medication, counseling and stress management classes. If you have no choice but to eat at night, which typically happens for shift workers, be sure to consume a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet and plan time into your day for regular physical activity, such as walking, running or bicycling, to minimize unnecessary weight gain.
References
- "Nutrition"; R. Elaine Turner, R.D., et al.; 2009
- "Sleep"; Dr. R. Robert Auger, et al.; 2006
- "Obesity"; Circadian Timing of Food Intake Contributes to Weight Gain; Dr. Fred Turek, et al.; November 2009
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