What causes nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 30-year-old male experiencing significant issues with my sleep. I believe I might have a sleep disorder, specifically a nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder. I often wake up in the middle of the night and find myself eating without any recollection of it in the morning. This has led to unexplained weight gain and disrupted sleep patterns. I feel tired and irritable during the day, and my productivity at work is suffering. The frequent nighttime eating episodes are causing me a lot of stress. Can you help me understand what might be causing this and suggest any treatments or strategies to manage this disorder?

Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I understand your concern.

You may have trouble due to stress in your life. You should do the following investigation. You may have parasomnia- a group of sleep disorders characterized by abnormal behaviors, movements, emotions, perceptions, or dreams that occur while falling asleep, during sleep, or during arousal from sleep. You should try to follow below lifestyle below to deal with your stress, it will help you.

You should do exercises daily for 30 to 45 minutes like at least going for a walk.
You should do meditation for 20 minutes daily, just sit in one place in a comfortable position, and try to concentrate on your normal breathing, do not stop or force yourself to stop your thoughts, just let it be.
You should eat healthy home-cooked foods, and avoid junk foods.
You must drink enough water.
You should spend quality time with friends and family daily or do video calls if you are living away from your family.
You should spend time on creative hobbies like reading good books, writing journals, painting, drawing, and learning new skills or language or musical instruments.
You should take seven to eight hours of sleep daily.
You must avoid tobacco, alcohol, or any substance abuse. Live your life, do not just spend it, and try to be bold and confident.

You must do Polysomnography to study your sleep.

Investigations to be done:

Polysomnography- a comprehensive sleep study that monitors various physiological parameters during sleep.
CBC (complete blood count).
RBS (random blood sugar).
EEG (electroencephalogram- a test that measures and records the electrical activity of the brain).

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.