How To Stop Insomnia | Sleep Insomnia Treatment

How to Stop Insomnia

Nocturnal Eating Syndrome - A Food Related Sleep Complaint

Nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is more common in women than men. It is one of two eating conditions that are associated to fall asleep. The other is called sleep-related food disorder. Nocturnal eating syndrome and sleep-related food disorder are parasomnias

Nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is characterized by compulsive raids on the refrigerator in the evening. Usually individuals with this sleep disorder are very light sleepers. When they awake throughout the night they have an overly compulsive feeling that they will not be in a position to fall return to sleep unless they eat something. Once off the bed and at the refrigerator, the compulsion to eat makes them gobble down food. Individuals with nocturnal eating syndrome are fully awake and remember eating the food the next day. This syndrome is a combination of a sleep disorder and an eating disorder. Insomnia is in addition a factor in nocturnal eating syndrome. Therapy for this disorder is normally received from a mental health professional that specializes in individuals with eating conditions. Improving sleep hygiene can likewise help with this disorder.

Sleep-related eating disorder also affects more women then men and is a variation of sleepwalking. During a sequence of this sleep disorder, an individual will eat during partial arousal form a deep sleep. Often they will eat very unhealthy or strange foods that they typically would not eat when awake. During a sequence of sleep-related eating disorder, an individual might eat frozen pizza, raw cookie dough, peanut butter on fish and even dog food. Often they're very careless and sloppy and might get burns or cuts while preparing the food. It is very hard to wake an individual during a sequence and they have no memory of it in the morning. There does not seem to be a correlation to hunger during a sleep-related eating disorder episode, although the individual has consumed just before bed, a sequence can still occur.

Although the reason for food related sleep disorder is not known, several triggers have been identified. Medicines like lithium, a mood stabilizer, and the benzodiazepine receptor zolpidem are two of those triggers. Individuals with mood and personality disorders or mental problems like bulimia are at higher chance of developing one of these food related sleep disorders. People suffering from other sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder or narcolepsy are likewise at higher risk

Individuals with sleep-related eating disorder usually have a history of sleepwalking. Owing to this, people suffering from this parasomnina are considered having more of a sleep disorder then an eating disorder. Therapy with prescription medication is frequently very efficient. Antidepressants, dopimine agents, anticonvulsants and opiates are often prescribed. Once sleepwalking is stopped so are the trips to the refrigerator.

Sleep eaters often are overweight because of the high caloric intake in the evening. The weight gain may lead to other sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. Seeking remedy, either from a medical or mental health professional is needed for good health in the treatment of sleep eating conditions.