Sleep eating or nocturnal sleep-related disorder (NS-RED) is a condition where a person unknowingly wakes up and eats during the night.

Causes

Its causes are not known but some risk factors are:

• History of sleep disorders
• History of eating disorders
• Substance abuse
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Stress or anxiety
• Certain medications

Symptoms

• Sleepwalking to the kitchen or other sources of food
• No awareness of eating (usually large quantities)
• Strange combinations of food
• Excessive weight gain
• Lack of hunger during the early part of the day
• No or faint memory of eating on waking up

Treatment

• Stress management
• Counseling
• Diet changes
• Medication

Prevention

There is no specific prevention but risk can be reduced by:

• Avoid substance abuse
• Avoid excessive stress
• Eat balanced and regular meals