What Is Night Feeding Syndrome
It is an eating disorder that affects around 2% of the world’s population.
It was first described in 1955 and is analyzed from the point of view of psychological disorders.
Learn more about night feeding syndrome in the following article.
Characteristics of night feeding syndrome
First of all, it is good to know that it consists of persistent “inappropriate” behavior. That is, it occurs daily.
It always occurs during the night hours and often, those who suffer from this syndrome are not aware of what is happening. In other cases, they are not able to sleep without eating first.
There is a high emotional component in relation to this problem.
Many experts call this intake as “food relief or reward” ( comfort food in English) .
Care must be taken not to confuse night feeding syndrome with bulimin nervosa or polyphagia, as both have different symptoms.
- Do not consume large amounts of food at one time. These are small intakes every one to two hours throughout the night.
- Not being able to regain sleep if they do not eat a meal.
- Being fully aware of the behavior, although not always accepting it.
- Increase intake during periods of high stress, nerves, obligations, etc.
How to treat night feeding syndrome
The treatment must always be prescribed by a specialist. Some of the options include:
- Consume some type of antidepressant, natural or prescription. Always with the consent of a specialist.
- Lock the kitchen door or not leave food in the refrigerator “ready to eat”.
- Eating foods such as oatmeal that achieve greater satiety, can be added to juices, yogurt, milk, etc.
- Eat dinner with foods rich in carbohydrates, even a small portion so that the blood sugar does not drop so much during the night.
- Consult with a nutritionist to offer a suitable diet and do not hesitate to follow it to the letter.
