The Condition"...More than 70% of the nighttime eating to combat anxiety involved binging on carbohydrates..."
The Condition"...NES has been linked to hormone imbalances; high cortisol, low melatonin and leptin may make things worse..." Relationship to Stress"Nighttime eaters have elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol during almost all hours of the day, suggesting that they suffer from the effects of chronic stress in their daily lives..."
The Condition"...Another key may involve the availability of tryptophan, an important amino acid, in the body..."
The Condition"...They found that the night eaters - both normal and overweight - had significantly lower melatonin levels during the night than did the controls..." Relationship to Low Melatonin Level" Melatonin levels were found to be generally lower in patients with Night Eating Syndrome..."
The Condition"...These foods are believed to increase the amount of tryptophan available for conversion to serotonin, the calming neurotransmitter in the brain that promotes an overall sense of well-being and, in turn, converts to melatonin..."
Night eating syndrome is an eating disorder http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/324054.stm that has only been recognized as such since 1999, and affects between 1 and 2 % of the population. http://www.anred.com/nes.html NES is also characterized as a sleeping disorder. http://www.neuronic.com/night-eating_disorder.htm NES is often accompanied by or confused with sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), although the two are distinct. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4615507/site/newsweek