Sleep eating, I've had that

I saw this term mentioned on another forum, and I had thought it was just me that has experienced this, has anyone here heard of this or experienced this?
I haven't had it for awhile, but have caught myself near doing this. I can't relate it to any meds I had or I'm presently on, but can connect it to 2 things, extreme stress (but I always have that) and when I'd be excessively dieting. I know some of us can be victims of "comfort foods" while awake, but it is so strange when I have awakened up off the couch and have found some sort of snack stuff in my hand or along side of me. Even more strange, having no recollection of taking it out of fridge or pantry.
It would be interesting to find out if there is a thing like "sleep eating" and where it comes from. You think it's a sub-conscious need for comfort in our life at the time?
Any one with info on this specific topic, please post.
When I see where I am weight wise (age doesn't help) and think back of a period when I was anorexic, wow, what a change. Recovering and accepting my healthy weight worked well, but now I'm overweight on doc's charts, need to exercise besides dieting. The fear of sleep eating again,has got me concerned.
Thanks for listening to my rambling.
DE

Wow! It must be very strange and off-putting to deal with that. I've read a couple of websites about it since reading your post, and it turns out that not a lot is known about it. Hits about 1.5% of the population, they think. Mostly women. More common in folks with eating disorders. One of the treatments they mentioned was playing soft, rhytmic music as you sleep or padlocking the fridge and the cupboards. (How exactly do you padlock a fridge, anyway?)

A less radical idea might be to buy some babyproofing latches for the cupboards. They don't provide a lot of security, but they do require some fiddling...which might be enough to wake you up or deter your sleeping self.

LOL!! Thank God, I haven't had that for awhile, but the hints sound cute.
Can you direct me or anyone interested, to a site that offers lots of info on this?
Thinking about this, it had happen often when using a sleep aid or anti-anxiety meds. but also has happened without.
Several times as a kid and a teen, my parent(s) would see me and claimed I was sleep walking, would go in the living room as they watched TV, even spoke to them but was oblivious at the same time, real strange. Last time I did that, I was about 18,I had been working on a hobby,sewing something on the machine in the basement, after going to sleep I woke and started going for the basement, mom was watching late nite and called to me and asked where I was going, I answered her and then woke up, good thing I didn't try to do stairs, eh? But maybe being my brain was convinced I was awake I may have not fallen.
Oh well, it is a strange and interesting topic to me, and to read up on it may be interesting.
During my son's toddler years, many a night he'd wake up with night terrors, we didn't know what it was about,pediatrician exclaimed that during those years the brain is rapidly growing/processing which has been linked to this occurence, and goes away over time. It was a very strange,frustrating and sad thing to witness.
Whew!! We were all happy to see that period end.
Thanks,
Roe

ANRED: Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
Talk About Sleep: Sleep Eating

Not a ton out there, but these were two of the better references.

Ben, thanks for those sites, they were very interesting.
What was also interesting that they claimed one possible reason for this,besides the several they gave, was what I assumed before reading this, that constant stress can trigger this,causing the brain to feel the need of comfort,turning to "comfort food", except happening during the time we are sleeping. I find it amazing, how this occurs in the brain. For day dieters, I think this nocturnal eating and sleep eating, is possibly the brain kicking into survival mode. I'm sure while this is researched they will find more reasons as time goes on.
Cool topic.
Great info, thanks again.



Roe

Just saw a news story last night about how Ambien increases your chances of sleep-eating. (They also mentioned other activities like sleep-driving. Yikes!)

Just found out, Ativan does this to me. The past days my mom's been in hospital (she's doing ok) so I've been taking the Ativan I have since last year, to use as needed, but I haven't for awhile. Well, the past few nights this sleep eating thing has started up, it is embarrassing my son sees this as he watches late nite TV and gets nervous or thinks I'm messed up. Oh well, then I am not going to use the ATivan, after all my pdoc said use only as needed. But my other meds, are daily meds.
Ativan does it to me but Klonopin, Ativan's cousin, doesn't do that, interesting,eh?

Okay, another nite, didn't take or drink anything to help me sleep, but apparently I was sleep eating, what woke me in the dark was grabbing a mayo jar, probably thinking it was cottage cheese container(when you are "asleep" they feel the same I guess) opened stuck a spoon in, whoa! I woke up to spit out, mayo, yulk!! So I go to bed.
Next morning, hubby finds chips on the counter,I found the pepper mill by the sink, dog biscuit box on the floor of the pantry and not on it's shelf, I have no memory of this.
To top it off, that evening after this occurence, hubby finds the bag of chips in a pot, where we store our pots and pans, what's up with me?????????
Now, hubby and kid, are closely watching me,ugh!
I still think it's the stress level, it's up a little more than usual, with mom being in the hospital.
If this happens again, I guess my pdoc appt. for 4/5/06 will have to be upped? I guess as long as I am not leaving the house, or going in garage to get car, I'll be alright, ha!ha!

Roe

Dark Eyes -

I've been telling my p-doc I think I have been experiencing sleep eating, because of the Ambien. Low and behold there was a big article on the connection between that medication and sleep eating on MSN a couple of weeks back.

Jane

** bumping this up **
I do not use Ambien,etc. but think when I am super stressed,like the past 3-4 yrs. may trigger this in me.
I just don't know, but it's weird when one awakes to food on them or dishes in the sink and no recollection of eating.?? Very weird, and depressing for me, for I have gained so much weight and this doesn't help matters when it does happen.
Just my 2 cents.