Is There a Connection Between Sleep and Eating Disorders?

There are different kinds of eating disorders, including anorexia, binge eating, and night eating syndrome. There are also different types of disordered sleep, such as insomnia and nightmare disorder.
Researchers have found connections between sleep disorders and eating disorders. This is a kind of chicken-and-egg scenario, though. We are not certain which came first.
Sleep-specific eating disorders
Night eating syndrome (NES) probably has the most obvious link to sleep. With NES, a person may feel compelled to eat at night, and is not normally hungry in the morning. This person may experience insomnia and wake up at night, believing they have to eat to go back to sleep. A person with night eating syndrome may have obesity and emotional distress. Experts have suggested that an abnormal circadian rhythm may play a role in NES.
A similar disorder is known as a sleep-related eating disorder (SRED). Unlike NES, SRED usually occurs when a person is partly or completely asleep and has less control over their actions. A person may eat unusual combinations or amounts of food, and may only vaguely remember the incident later. Women are at higher risk of developing SRED, as are individuals who have another type of sleep disorder, such as sleepwalking.
While both NES and SRED are clearly sleep-related eating disorders, other types of eating disorders have been associated with sleep problems, too. Here’s what we know so far.
Other research on sleep and eating disorders
In Current Psychiatry Reports, researchers noted that individuals with insomnia have an increased risk of eating disorders, and of poor treatment outcomes if they do have an eating disorder. At the same time, those who are diagnosed with eating disorders are more likely to experience disrupted sleep. Cognitive behavior therapy may help individuals with both eating disorder and insomnia.
One study of more than 12,000 young adults (aged 18-26 years) concluded that eating disorders in this age group predicted sleep disturbances seven years later. The researchers, writing in Eating and Weight Disorders, suggested that young adults with disordered eating behaviors also should be assessed for sleep disturbances.
Among women aged 20 to 47 years, binge eating was independently associated with sleep disorders, including insufficient sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and disturbed sleep. This may be due to a complicated combination of psychological and biological factors.
Experts are still unsure about what causes the link between disordered sleep and eating. Possibilities include:
Eating disorders often accompany depression and anxiety, which disrupt sleep.
Disrupted sleep may interfere with the hormones and brain activity involved in hunger cues and eating.
Medications used to treat eating disorders may affect sleep.
Malnutrition from an eating disorder, especially anorexia, may disrupt sleep.
Behavioral health providers who work with clients with eating disorders should take deliberate steps to address any disordered sleep among these clients. At the same time, clinicians should keep an eye out for disordered eating behavior in clients with sleep problems.
Sleeping and eating habits are two crucial factors involved in behavioral health. BestNotes’ OutcomeTools feature can help you assess, track, and analyze your clients’ thoughts, feelings, and behavior, from intake to discharge, so you can make better treatment decisions. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you increase your practice’s value.