If you can fall asleep only after you’ve eaten something, it’s a serious reason to think about consulting a doctor. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have found that the people, who have the habit of making “night raids” to the fridge, face the risk of mental health problems more than others.
This opinion was expressed by a group of scientists led by Dr. Rebecka Peebles after the survey of 1,600 students, who had special testing. These tests were designed to help the physicians assess possible eating disorders and their connection with the general state of mental health in the volunteers.
According to the experts, night snacking syndrome is characterized not only by the fact that people eat late in the evening or at night, but by the feeling that they cannot sleep without food and cannot eat in the morning.
The experts comment that some people with night snacking syndrome wake up in the middle of the night to eat and then are able to fall asleep. 3% of the students who participated in the study had this problem.
Researchers have found that night snacking syndrome does not always mean that people overeat. However, excessive and uncontrolled absorption of food is connected with it too. In addition, it was found that anorexia, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder are directly related to the night snacking syndrome. At the same time, the scientists claim that young people and students are in particular risk of developing the syndrome.
It is noteworthy that a special study was conducted in 2008, which showed that the students with this syndrome suffered from depression and had previously harmed themselves. Recent research has only strengthened the medical opinion that night snacking syndrome is a reflector of dysfunctional processes in the human psyche. The doctors advise to immediately contact the specialists when the symptoms of the syndrome are detected.
