Nighttime feeding syndrome, also known as night eating disorder, is characterized by 3 main points:
1.Morning anorexia: the individual avoids eating during the day, especially in the morning;
- 2.
- Afternoon and evening hyperphagy: after the absence of meals during the day.
- There is excessive consumption of food.
- Especially after 6 p.
- M.
- ;.
3. Insomnia: what causes the person to eat at night
This syndrome tends to be triggered by stress and occurs especially in people who are already overweight.When problems improve and stress subsides, the syndrome tends to go away.
Night feeding syndrome occurs more in women and can occur in childhood or adolescence. If you think you have this disorder, check your symptoms:
It is important to note that this syndrome is associated with other problems such as obesity, depression, low self-esteem in obese people.See the difference in binge symptoms.
The diagnosis of nocturnal eating syndrome is made by the doctor or psychologist, and is based mainly on the patient’s behavioral symptoms, remembering that there can be no compensatory behaviors, as occurs in bulimia when causing vomiting, for example.
In addition, your doctor may also order tests that measure the hormones cortisol and melatonin.In general, cortisol, which is the stress hormone, is high in these patients, while melatonin is low, which is the hormone responsible for feeling sleep at night.
Understand how night eating occurs in the following video
Treatment of night diet syndrome is done with psychotherapeutic follow-up and medication use as prescribed, which may include medications such as antidepressants and melatonin supplements.
In addition, it is also necessary to follow up with the nutritionist and practice physical activity, as regular exercise is the best natural way to improve the production of wellness hormones that control hunger and sleep.
For other eating disorders, also see the differences between anorexia and bulimia.