Symptoms

Sleep-related eating disorder is a parasomnia — abnormal activity or behavior that occurs while you're falling asleep, sleeping or waking up.

Episodes of sleep-related eating disorder occur in the first half of the night after you've been sleeping and include:

• Frequent episodes, generally nightly, of eating and drinking in an out-of-control manner
• Impaired consciousness while preparing and eating food
• Little or no memory of these actions the next morning
• Eating high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods or odd combinations of food
• Possibly eating inedible or toxic substances, such as frozen foods, coffee grounds, cleaning solutions or cigarette butts
• Possibly experiencing injuries or engaging in dangerous food preparation activities
• Not being easily awakened or redirected during the episode
• Experiencing a negative impact on your health from the nighttime eating

When to see a doctor

Sleep-related eating disorder can be dangerous and impact your health and safety. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, see your doctor.