Ever find yourself eating most of your daily food intake in the evening, or waking up for a nighttime snack more often than normal? Then you could suffer from Night Eating Syndrome (NES). Here, Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert and CEO of Mattressnextday explains in further detail just what exactly Night Eating Syndrome is
What is night eating syndrome?
Night eating syndrome, known as NES is a condition that combines two things, overeating at night time whilst also suffering sleep problems. If you have NES, you may eat a lot after certain hours of the evening, have trouble sleeping, and you may also wake up in the night and need to eat. Night eating syndrome isn’t considered life-threatening, but of course, if untreated it could cause health problems down the line such as weight gain, insomnia and mental health conditions.
What causes it?
It’s not exactly clear what causes it, however, some experts have noted that it could be related to issues with the sleep-wake cycle or hormonal. You are more likely to have NES if you are obese or have another eating disorder, furthermore, those with a history of mental health complications such as anxiety or depression, or those who have a history of substance abuse are also likely to suffer from NES. It’s thought that NES affects 1 in 100 people, and if you are overweight, there’s a 1 in 10 chance you have it.
What are the symptoms?
If you have NES, then you may be eating a quarter of your daily calorie intake after dinner, or/ and you may wake up at night at least twice a week to eat.
You may also suffer with Night time eating syndrome if you have at least three of the below:
- An almost overwhelming urge to eat between dinner and sleep
- Waking up to eat
- Decreased appetite during the day
- Eating many calories at night
- Insomnia for four or five nights per week
- No appetite in the morning
- Depression or anxiety
Night eating syndrome is different from having a binge eating disorder, as with binge eating, you’re more likely to eat a lot at a single sitting, whereas if you have NES you are more likely to eat smaller amounts throughout the evening and into the night.
How can I prevent NES?
You may not be able to completely prevent NES, but you can take the right steps to improve your health and get a good night’s sleep. These include:
- Practising good sleep hygiene
Practising good sleep hygiene is imperative for ensuring a restful night’s sleep. You should avoid sugary foods too late in the day, caffeine should be avoided if possible, and if not try to limit your intake and do not have any after the early afternoon. Ensure your bedroom temperature is comfortable temperature for you. Your bed and bed linens should also be warm, comfortable, and supportive. Have a good nighttime wind-down routine, read, take a hot bath, get rid of any electronics and try and get yourself sleepy. If you feel the urge to eat, try and suppress this by having a glass of water or a hot tea.
- Choosing healthy foods
Make sure you only have healthy foods in the cupboards to avoid any unnecessary snacking, nine times out of 10 if unhealthy foods are at home you are more likely to eat, whereas ensuring you do not have anything bad you are more likely to avoid these certain foods. Getting rid of foods that are high in fat and sugar can help you avoid indulging in them at night. Try and eat a healthy and balanced diet during the day, eat plenty of fruits and veggies and try to drink 2 litres of water per day to stay hydrated and also suppress any unwanted snacking appetite.
- Managing your mental health
Try to manage any stress or anxiety you may feel with things such as yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. You may want to look into counselling or therapy which will be able to help you manage your emotions and relationship with food as well as improve your overall mood. Try and take your attention away from snacking or needing to eat at night by keeping busy, seeing friends, going on a nice walk, or going to the gym.
- Staying active during the day
It’s no secret that regular exercise and physical activity during the day help improve sleep quality at night as you are tired and feel you need sleep. So partaking in daily exercise, whether that’s a short walk or a high-intensity workout, you are giving yourself a greater chance of having a restful night’s sleep.
PLanning your African safari trip
IGLU CRUISE AND PLANET CRUISE: CRUISE OF THE WEEK AND LATE DEALS