Sleep-related eating disorder

Abstract

The Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) belongs to the parasomnias, which are unusual and undesirable daytime behavioral phenomena occurring during the sleep period. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of nocturnal eating in a variable, usually reduced, state of alertness, which are not linked to waking eating disorders such as bulimia, binge-eating and anorexia nervosa. The absence of full awareness can induce the occasional intake of inedible food and injuries during food preparation. These are the main features that distinguish SRED from nocturnal eating syndrome (NES), but the distinction between these two syndromes is still a controversial matter. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.