I’m sure you’ve heard of sleep-walking. When they wake up, folks usually have no memory of where they went or what they did… But did you know a significant number of folks actually prepare food and eat it in their sleep?
Your cat might even know you’re sleepeating before you do!
It’s even got an official name: Sleep Related Eating Disorder (SRED). And you may have been doing it for years without even realizing it…
Not paranormal…
Have you ever walked into the kitchen in the morning and found something left out that should be in the fridge or the cupboard? Dirty dishes that weren’t there the night before? And did you wonder if the place was haunted? It’s probably not a paranormal phenomenon. More likely, it’s ‘parasomnial’…
That means, YOU did it, in your sleep. And more than just preparing food, you ate it. Then meandered back to bed.
Sounds comical, but…
… You can be seriously injured when sleepeating, in a number of different ways. First, you can unwit-tingly eat dangerous raw foods, non-foods or poisonous substances. Worse yet, you may eat some-thing you are allergic to. You can burn or cut yourself using the stove or knives. And you can put the whole whole household in danger by leaving the stove on.
Of lesser immediate danger, but nevertheless damaging and potentially costly, you can leave the fridge door open, or leave water running in the sink.
Sleep eaters often binge-eat, consuming as much as 50 percent of the recommended adult daily Calorie allowance.
Long-term consequences of SREDs can include weight gain, obesity, depression and daytime fatigue.
What causes it?
Science isn’t sure exactly sure what causes SREDs. But it has found are clear associations with:
-
- Underlying medical conditions (such as encephalitis or hepatitis)
- Underlying mental health conditions (like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress or substance use disorder)
- Changes to your routine (like quitting smoking or going on a diet)
- Medication side effects (sedative-hypnotics, benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine receptor agonists, and some psychiatric drugs)
Bad company…
The experts also tell us SREDs tend to occur in company with other sleep disorders, including: including:
Sufferers usually start having SRED episodes in their 20s, and some may struggle with them for the rest of their lives.
My take
You’re more likely to be aware of your SRED activity if you have a roommate or live in a family home. Others may well notice the effects of your parasomnial eating before you do.
Don’t brush it off as harmless. Treatments are available. See your family doctor about your sleepeat-ing before something really serious happens, to you or the ones you love…
~ Maggie J.