Prevalence and Associated Factors of Nocturnal Eating Behavior and Sleep-Related Eating Disorder-Like Behavior in Japanese Young Adults: Results of an Internet Survey Using Munich Parasomnia Screening.

Kentaro Matsui,Yoko Komada,Katsuji Nishimura,Yuichi Inoue,Kenichi Kuriyama

doi:10.3390/jcm9041243

Abstract

Nocturnal (night) eating syndrome and sleep-related eating disorder have common characteristics, but are considered to differ in their level of consciousness during eating behavior and recallability. To date, there have been no large population-based studies determining their similarities and differences. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey for Japanese young adults aged 19–25 years to identify factors associated with nocturnal eating behavior and sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior using Munich Parasomnia Screening and logistic regression. Of the 3347 participants, 160 (4.8%) reported experiencing nocturnal eating behavior and 73 (2.2%) reported experiencing sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior. Smoking (p < 0.05), use of hypnotic medications (p < 0.01), and previous and/or current sleepwalking (p < 0.001) were associated with both nocturnal eating behavior and sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior. A delayed sleep-wake schedule (p < 0.05) and sleep disturbance (p < 0.01) were associated with nocturnal eating behavior but not with sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior. Both nocturnal eating behavior and sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior had features consistent with eating disorders or parasomnias. Nocturnal eating behavior but not sleep-related eating disorder-like behavior was characterized by a sleep-awake phase delay, perhaps representing an underlying pathophysiology of nocturnal eating syndrome.

Highlights

Nocturnal eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating after the evening meal or after awakening from sleep [1,2]
sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) can be distinguished from NES by its unconscious eating behavior and its inability to recall, which was emphasized in the diagnostic criteria for SRED in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3) [6]
NES has been considered an eating disorder with evening hyperphagia, eating episodes occurring upon awakening during the night and resultant morning anorexia [9,10]; the pathology of NES is believed to be a delayed circadian pattern of food intake [11,12]

Summary

Introduction

Nocturnal (night) eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating after the evening meal or after awakening from sleep [1,2]. NES has been described as “other specified feeding or eating disorder” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition [1], but its criteria are relatively unclear. SRED can be distinguished from NES by its unconscious eating behavior and its inability to recall, which was emphasized in the diagnostic criteria for SRED in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3) [6]. NES has been considered an eating disorder with evening hyperphagia, eating episodes occurring upon awakening during the night and resultant morning anorexia [9,10]; the pathology of NES is believed to be a delayed circadian pattern of food intake [11,12]. No large population-based studies have been conducted on NES and SRED [8], and only a few studies have addressed their similarities and differences in clinical characteristics and pathophysiology [7,13]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion