It’s my favorite time of day – the sun is barely up and I am greeted by a hungry beagle.
As I walk downstairs, I wonder what I will find today. I never know what I’ll wake up to find in my own kitchen on any given morning.
Today – uneaten bowl of something in the microwave, bread on the counter, cracker crumbs on the sofa and chocolate on the floor (I scramble to get there before the beagle).
Night Eating Syndrome affects both men and women, with men representing over 40% of all people with the syndrome. It doesn’t seem to matter how many calories were consumed earlier in the day. This is an ongoing, persistent behavior, unlike the occasional late snack or skipped meal that most people have from time to time.
In fact, people with night eating syndrome are often unaware of their nocturnal meals, although some feel they won’t be able to sleep without eating first. (Note: a person falls asleep more easily on a full stomach.) Among those who are aware of their night eating, there is often an emotional component; the diet of the night eater is comfort food.
Night eating syndrome tends to lead to weight gain; as many as 28% of those seeking gastric-bypass surgery were found to suffer from Night Eating Syndrome in one study. In fact, while sufferers are not always overweight (my husband is not), one in four people who are overweight by 100 lbs or more are thought to suffer from night eating syndrome. The disorder is accompanied by what sufferers describe as an uncontrollable desire to eat, akin to addiction, and is often treated chemically.
Half of all night eaters were of normal weight before they started night eating. Night eaters who maintain a healthy weight often feel the urge to exercise compulsively and/or restrict their calories during the day to keep from gaining weight.
My husband often doesn’t remember eating at night. Although he is not overweight, over the last few years, he has lost 80 lb. and certainly doesn’t want to gain it back. So he pushes himself to exercise, even though it takes a major effort just to get up in the morning.
He HATES the night eating habit, but understands now that night eating is not a lack of willpower. He is barely conscious of his behavior.
It seems like he has an unconscious command in his head that says “FOOD.”
Hopefully, the night eating CD will help!
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