Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
Young Min Park
Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology June 1, 2011 DOI: 10.14401/kasmed.2011.18.1.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | The abstract describes SRED as a newly recognized parasomnia of compulsive eating during sleep, possibly sharing features of sleepwalking and eating disorder, and reports accumulating cases linked to psychotropics such as zolpidem, triazolam, and olanzapine. It states that a thorough sleep history is essential for diagnosis and that dopaminergic agents were effective in some trials, with dopaminergic-opioid combinations plus sedatives reported in case reports. |
Abstract
Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) is a newly recognized parasomnia that describes a clinical condition of compulsive eating under an altered level of consciousness during sleep. Recently, it is increasingly recognized in clinical practice. The exact etiology of SRED is unclear, but it is assumed that SRED might share features of both sleepwalking and eating disorder. There have been also accumulating reports of SRED related to the administration of various psychotropic drugs, such as zolpidem, triazolam, olanzapine, and combinations of psychotropics. Especially, zolpidem in patients with underlying sleep disorders that cause frequent arousals, may cause or augment sleep related eating behavior. A thorough sleep history is essential to recognition and diagnosis of SRED. The timing, frequency, and description of food ingested during eating episodes should be elicited, and a history of concurrent psychiatric, medical, sleep disorders must also be sought and evaluated. Interestingly, dopaminergic agents as monotherapy were effective in some trials. Success with combinations of dopaminergic and opioid drugs, with the addition of sedatives, has also been reported in some case reports.