Night Eating Syndrome: Scientific Insights And Management Tips
Health
Published on: 16-May-2024
10 min read
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Anvesha Chowdhury
Night Eating Syndrome: Scientific Insights And Management Tips
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We've all been there: the late-night fridge raid, a seemingly harmless indulgence for a post-dinner sweet tooth. However, for some individuals, nighttime eating transcends occasional snacking and becomes a disruptive pattern known as Night Eating Syndrome (NES).
NES goes beyond the occasional late-night bite. It's characterised by a shift in eating habits, where individuals consume a significant portion of their daily calories after dinner, often accompanied by a lack of appetite in the morning. This pattern can disrupt sleep, impacting daytime functioning and overall well-being. While the occasional late-night snack won't raise red flags, those struggling with NES might experience a cycle of evening hunger, overconsumption at night, and poor sleep quality.
This blog investigates the science of nighttime eating syndrome (NES), examining its possible causes and implications. We'll teach you how to tell the difference between healthy midnight eating and NES and provide practical advice for dealing with this disruptive condition. Keep reading, and let's shed light on the complexities of night eating!
Table Of Contents
1. What Is Nighttime Eating Syndrome?
2. Why Do I Always Eat At Night?
3. Do You Gain Weight If You Eat At Night?
4. Tips For Eating Late At Night
5. Dietitian’s Recommendation
6. The Final Say
7. FAQs
8. References
What Is Nighttime Eating Syndrome?
An eating disorder linked to sporadic sleep patterns is called night eating syndrome. In addition to lowering sleep quality and causing people to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, nocturnal eating syndrome can contribute to several chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Nocturnal eating syndrome is when a person eats most of their daily food intake at night, either after dinner or while waking up at night. Night eating syndrome (NES) can also occur with sleep disturbance (insomnia). NES causes people to wake up at night to eat, usually several times a night. Without treatment, NES can make it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. It also raises the risk of health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Researchers estimate that approximately 1.5% of people suffer from night-eating syndrome. Although this condition includes some of the mood, sleep, and other symptoms of an eating disorder, it is a unique condition in its own right. Night eating syndrome occurs in a range of 6 to 16 per cent of obese people, but it is difficult to tell whether one condition causes the other. Night eating syndrome is also more prominent in people with depression or other mental disorders.
If you have night eating syndrome, you may feel like you can't sleep unless you eat. You may feel like you can't resist the urge to eat in the middle of the night. Many people with NSP suffer from depression or anxiety, which often gets worse at night. To help people with SNEP, healthcare providers typically recommend combination treatments. These include antidepressants, cognitive behavioural therapy, and sleep and eating cycle interventions.
Why Do I Always Eat At Night?
Wondering why you always crave food, especially at night? Experts believe that night eating syndrome can occur when the biological clock in human body or circadian rhythm becomes out of sync with its sleeping and eating patterns. Typically, fluctuations in appetite-related hormones can cause people to sleep through the night without feeling like eating. People with night eating syndrome may experience changes in hormones such as melatonin, leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol, which regulate sleep, hunger, and stress.
According to a recent study, people who prefer to sleep naturally and wake up late may be more likely to suffer from night eating syndrome. Other studies have shown that people with night-eating syndrome have delayed release of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. It is unclear whether this condition is evidence of an overall delay in the body clock or whether eating at night may act as a signal to slow down the body clock.
Night eating syndrome does not appear more common in people of any particular gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Other eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder or bulimia, may also prevail along with:
Depression
Insomnia
Anxiety
Low self-esteem
Psychiatric disorders or antipsychotic drug use
Smoking habits
Sleep apnea
Restless legs syndrome
Studies show that depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are particularly closely related to night eating syndrome. The symptoms of night eating may become more severe during stressful times.
Is Eating Late At Night Unhealthy?
It would help if you did not eat before going to bed, and one reason for this is how your body functions. Eating late at night throws off your body's circadian rhythm. It is about how the body regulates insulin sensitivity. In the morning, your body intentionally becomes more sensitive to fuel your body, get you moving, and get you through the day. However, our insulin resistance increases at night, and as a result, the extra calories consumed from late-night snacks or snacks are not burned during the day and are stored as fat while you sleep. Another reason eating late is wrong is that we tend to make less healthy decisions about our food. At night, we eat junk food like chips, cookies and ice cream as part of our nightly relaxation routine. But that's also mindless eating.
Another study conducted in the United States in 2022 found that eating too late in the evening can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is your internal body clock that responds to daylight to tell you when it is time to sleep. Disruption of these rhythms can alter the energy use rate, which can also increase the risk of weight gain. Generally, we try not to label foods or behaviours as 'good' or 'bad'. However, there is some evidence that eating late at night and right before bed may increase the risk of developing overweight and other diseases.
Do You Gain Weight If You Eat At Night?
Because your metabolism slows at night, any food you eat is more easily converted to fat than calories consumed during the day. There appears to be no convincing evidence to support this idea. However, studies have shown that people who eat at night are more likely to gain weight. If our bodies can't maintain calories at night, what causes weight gain? Well, they are the habits.
Eating late at night may add more calories than regular meals, leading to weight gain. It is also known that eating late at night can increase the level of harmful fats in the blood, raising the risk of multiple heart disease or stroke. A 2022 study found that eating late at night increases hunger while awake and reduces the rate at which the body uses energy while awake. Studies have also found that eating late at night changes how your body's fat tissue works, making it more likely for fatty compounds (lipids) to accumulate.
Tips For Eating Late At Night
This is a frequently discussed topic, but some experts recommend eating a small amount of food before bed. Curbing bad habits is a great way to help you sleep better, eat less overall, and keep your blood sugar levels consistent and stable throughout the day. Here's how to eat at night without risking your health:
Make A plan | Don't snack every night without a plan. You don't want to go over your daily calorie count, so try to "save" enough calories into your daily calorie count to have a late-night snack if you need something each evening. |
Avoid Desserts And Junk Food | We all crave them before bed, but having a sweet snack or chips will make you want to eat more. These high-calorie foods make it easy to overeat. |
Combine Carbohydrates And Proteins | If you need a snack before bed, ensure it contains complex carbohydrates and protein to help you feel full longer. |
Prepare Yourself Mentally | Take a minute before bed to reflect on your day and make positive plans for the night ahead. Remind yourself of your goals and progress to strengthen your dedication to healthy practices. Visualise yourself conquering urges and making healthy choices, allowing you to maintain control and overcome night eating disorders. |
Dietitian’s Recommendation
Eating at night can be a common habit for many people. However, if you tend to eat a significant portion of your daily food intake after dinner or have trouble sleeping at night due to cravings, this may indicate night eating syndrome. Diagnosis of night eating syndrome usually begins with a visit to your doctor for an examination. There are several treatment options for SES, and if you are diagnosed, your doctor and therapist can help you choose the best treatment plan. Treatment for SNEP often involves a combination of therapy and medications. You should try several strategies before finding the one that works best for you.
Dt. Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Night eating syndrome can seriously impact your health and well-being. In addition to an increase in weight and excessive daytime sleepiness, night eating syndrome can lead to loss of control. However, treatment may help. Be honest with your doctor about your symptoms, including when you need to eat and what enables you to get back to sleep. Tell your doctor if you feel sad, anxious, or upset. This information will help your provider plan the most effective treatment.
FAQs
1. Is it OK to eat a lot at night?
No, you shouldn't eat a lot at night because your metabolism slows down, and any food you eat at night is more easily converted to fat than calories consumed during the day.
2. Is night eating syndrome hereditary?
Some researchers believe that night eating syndrome may have genetic roots. In people with a genetic predisposition, stress can lower serotonin levels, causing a domino effect that alters the body’s internal clock and disrupts satiety.
3. What is the outlook for patients with night eating syndrome?
If left untreated, FES can cause health and emotional problems. This can lead to diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other problems that come with being overweight. Doctors can treat night eating syndrome using a combination of therapy, medications, and lifestyle changes. Many people with SSP find symptom relief by following a comprehensive treatment plan.
References
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