DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
Center for Weight and Eating Disorders

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NIGHT EATING SYNDROME

The night eating syndrome is an eating disorder characterized by a shift in the circadian, or daily, pattern of eating. The symptoms include eating 25% or more of your daily caloric intake after your evening meal and/or getting up in the middle of the night to eat at least three times per week.Other associated symptoms include initial insomnia (problems falling asleep) and frequent awakenings in the middle of the night. Many sufferers also have no appetite in the morning and may feel sad or depressed as the day goes on.

To read more about Night Eating Syndrome, see our book on NES:
Allison, K. C., Stunkard, A. J., & Thier, S. L. (2004). Overcoming Night Eating
Syndrome: A step-by-step guide to breaking the cycle. Oakland, CA : New
Harbinger. (Click here to purchase.)

Or read the following articles:
O’Reardon JP, Allison KC, Martino NS, Lundgren JD, Heo M, Stunkard AJ.  A Randomized placebo-controlled trial of sertraline in the treatment of the night eating syndrome.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006;163:893-898.

O’Reardon JP, Peshek A, Allison KC.  Night Eating Syndrome: Diagnosis, epidemiology, and management.  CNS Drugs, 2005; 19: 997-1006.

Allison KC, Ahima RS, O’Reardon JP, Dinges DF, Sharma V, Cummings DE, Heo M, Martino N, Stunkard AJ.  Neuroendocrine Profiles Associated with Energy Intake, Sleep, and Stress in the Night Eating Syndrome.  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2005; 90:6214-6217.

Lundgren JD, Allison KC, Crow S, O’Reardon JP, Berg KC, Galbraith J, Martino NS, Stunkard AJ.  Prevalence of the night eating syndrome in a psychiatric population.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 2006; 163:156-158

Rogers NL, Dinges DF, Allison KC, Maislin G, Martino N, O’Reardon JP, Stunkard AJ.  Assessment of sleep in women with night eating syndrome.  Sleep, 2006;29:814-819.

Lundgren JL, Allison KC, Stunkard AJ. Familial aggregation in the night eating syndrome.  International Journal of Eating Disorders, in press.

Marshall , H.M., Allison, K.C., O'Reardon, J.O., Birketvedt, G, & Stunkard, A.J. The night eating syndrome among nonobese persons. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2004; 35: 217-222.

O'Reardon, JO, Ringel, BL, Dinges, DF, Allison, KC, Rogers , NS , Martino , NS, Stunkard, AJ. Circadian eating and sleeping patterns in the night eating
syndrome. ObesityResearch, 2004; 12: 1789-1796.

Stunkard, A. J. & Allison, K.C. Two forms of disordered eating in obesity: Binge eating and night eating. International Journal of Obesity, 2003; 27: 1-12.

Aronoff NJ , Geliebter A, Zammit G: Gender and body mass index as related to the night eating syndrome in obese outpatients. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2001, 101:102-104.

Aronoff NJ, Geliebter A, Hashim SA, Zammit GK: The relationship between daytime and nighttime food intake in an obese night-eater. Obesity Research 1994; 2: 145-151.

Manni R, Ratti MT , Tartara A: Nocturnal eating: prevalence and features in 120 insomniac referrals. Sleep 1997; 20: 734-738.

Spaggiari MC, Granella F, Parrino L, Marchesi C, Melli I, & Terzano MG: Nocturnal eating syndrome in adults. Sleep 1994; 17: 339-344.

Stunkard A, Berkowitz R, Wadden T, Tanrikut C, Reiss E, Young L: Binge eating disorder and the night eating syndrome. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 1996; 20 : 1-6.

Ceru ´ -Björk C, Andersson I, Rössner S: Night eating and nocturnal eating - two different or similar syndromes among obese patients? International Journal of Obesity 2001; 25 :365-372.

To learn more about Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder visit the following website:
http://www.parasomnias-rbd.com/

Or read the following articles:
Schenck CH, Mahowald MW: Review of nocturnal sleep-related eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disordorders 1994; 16: 343-356.

Winkelman JW: Treatment of nocturnal eating syndrome and sleep-related eating disorder with topiramate. Sleep Medicine 2003; 4: 243-246.

Winkelman JW: Clinical and polysomnographic features of sleep-related eating disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 1998; 59:14-19.