What Is Night Eating Syndrome? How to Stop Snacking
Key takeaways:
Night eating syndrome is a type of eating disorder where you wake up at night to eat a lot of food.
There are many causes of night eating syndrome, and it can sometimes be a symptom of other mental health conditions.
If not treated, night eating syndrome can lead to other health complications.
It can be normal to want to snack at night. But for some people, snacking at night can develop into a repetitive behavior with serious consequences. If you can’t seem to stop eating at night, you’re not alone.
Night eating syndrome (NES) is a health disorder that causes you to regularly wake up during the night to eat — and it can negatively impact your life. It can have long-term effects on your health, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Read on to learn more about night eating syndrome and how it can be treated.
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What is night eating syndrome (NES)?
Night eating syndrome is a type of eating disorder. It’s when you wake up from sleep to eat at night or eat excessively after your evening meal.
People with NES feel very hungry after dinner. They may wake up from sleep feeling a strong urge to eat. It may also feel like they can’t go back to sleep without eating.
Nearly 2% of people in the U.S. have NES. We also know that:
NES is more common in people with diabetes or obesity. We don’t completely understand why, but it may be related to disturbed sleep and altered metabolism.
NES can occur alongside another mental health condition, such as depression. It may have to do with sleep issues and an altered circadian clock.
NES is often associated with insomnia because you feel so hungry at night, wake up at night, or can’t go back to sleep without eating.
What are the long-term consequences of NES?
People with NES often eat 25% or more of their total calories at night. They may also eat less — or not enough — during the day.
Eating at night, along with sleep difficulties, can lead to additional health complications. In the long term, it can be associated with being overweight or having obesity, diabetes, or early artery disease.
How is night eating syndrome different from binge eating disorder?
Night eating syndrome isn’t the same as binge eating disorder. Those with binge eating disorder will eat a lot in one period of time, often to cope with depression or anxiety. They may have the urge to eat any time of the day.
On the other hand, people with night eating syndrome only have the urge to eat at night. They may wake up several times to eat at night.
How is night eating syndrome diagnosed?
If you think you may have night eating syndrome, talk with your healthcare provider or a mental health provider. It may be helpful to keep a food and sleep diary to share with your provider during your appointment.
Your healthcare provider will make a night eating syndrome diagnosis based on:
How much of your food intake is at night
How much you eat during the morning and day
Your sleep patterns
Your mood and its association with food intake at night
How much distress the symptoms cause you and how much they affect your life
How long you have been experiencing symptoms
If there are any other factors, such as substance use, medication side effects, or other medical or psychiatric conditions
What treatments are available for night eating syndrome?
Treatment for night eating syndrome will usually be a combination of:
Psychotherapy — like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — to help you understand your night eating patterns and give you ways to cope
Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Behavioral therapy techniques to help you stop eating at night, such as locking the refrigerator or leaving notes in your kitchen
Light therapy, which can help regulate sleep cycles and help with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Treatment for insomnia, such as sleep medication or melatonin to help regulate your sleep cycle
Should you talk to your therapist about your late night eating?
Yes. If you have a therapist, it’s a good idea to bring up your night eating with them. They can help you understand what’s going on and support you with ways to change your night eating patterns.
The bottom line
Night eating syndrome interferes with quality sleep and may impact other parts of your health. It may occur with other conditions, such as a mental health condition, substance use, or an eating disorder. Night eating syndrome can also happen with other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Remember: It’s possible to treat night eating syndrome.
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