Sleep-Related Eating Disorder

I've been reading the Times since I first joined Whyville, and a couple weeks ago I thought it might be interesting to submit an article or two. While I was looking up information for an essay I was writing for school, I came across something I had never heard of before: Nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder. I decided to learn more about it, and I thought I would share the information I gathered with you.

NS-RED (nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder) isn't exactly an eating disorder, but a type of sleep disorder which may be linked to sleep-walking, in which you eat while you appear to be asleep. People with NS-RED aren't aware they are eating when they are, and the next morning they have little or no memory of eating the previous night.

You may be wondering how people can eat and not remember like that. Well, in episodes of NS-RED, it is as if a part of their brain is awake, yet other parts are still asleep. The result is, the next day, you wouldn't be able to remember eating the previous night.

Many of the people with NS-RED diet in the daytime, which can leave them hungry and may cause them to binge eat at night since they have less control over it due to the fact that they are sleeping. Individuals with NS-RED often have histories of other sleep disorders, like sleep-walking, restless legs and sleep apnea.

Treatment begins with an interview and a few nights at a sleep disorder center, where they monitor brain activity. At times, medications can be beneficial but you should keep away from sleeping pills because they increase confusion and clumsiness which can result in injury. Reducing the intake of alcohol and caffeine can help as well.