Night Eating Syndrome

Night eating syndrome, also known as NES, is an eating disorder that consists of unending, continual binge eating late at night. During these binges, people often indulge in foods with high carbohydrates, thus gaining weight. Sufferers have also been found to have low levels of Melatonin and high levels of Cortisol. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the internal clock and helps with sleep cycles, while Cortisol is a hormone found in high levels with people that have depression and anxiety. Albert Stunkard, a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Weight and Eating Disorders Program, reported, "Not only is night-eating syndrome an eating disorder, but one of mood and sleep as well. People who fall prey to this syndrome are not simply indulging in a bad habit. They have a real clinical illness, reflected by changes in hormone levels."

Night eating syndrome is a relatively new eating disorder, and is still being proposed for inclusion in the soonest edition of the Diagnositc and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Although NES can affect people of all ages, sufferers are most commonly young women. And, although it only effects 1.5% of the entire population, night eating syndrome affects around 30% of obese people.

Typical symptoms include:

• Depression and anxiety (often due to eating disorder)
• Insomnia
• Skipping breakfast and waiting until lunch to eat
• Eating 25% of daily calories after dinner time

At Sovereign Health of California, we have extensive experience in treating every type of eating disorder. We also have a reputation for the finest treatment of dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders in the country. Our pre-admission assessments provide our treatment team with an exclusive insight into any co-occurring or dual diagnosis issues, allowing us to incorporate them into an individually tailored treatment program designed to treat the specific requirements of an individual.

At Sovereign Health, our treatment program combines traditional clinical treatments with alternative, holistic therapies, all of which are designed to ensure our clients receive the necessary care and support to take them through treatment and onto a successful, long-term recovery.

The patient’s individual treatment plan will include such elements as:

• one-on-one therapy sessions
• expressive and experiential therapy
• education about disease processes and recovery
• meal support and regular consultation with dietary staff
• group sessions to teach and practice behavior modification and emotion management
• family therapy (including family participation, if appropriate)
• weekly psychiatric consultation

To learn even more about treatment and successful recovery at Sovereign Health of California, visit the What We Offer page of our website. Or, alternatively, call us now! We have advisors available 24/7 to answer any question you may have about Sovereign Health. Our goal is to help.