I just read the question from Connie about night eating disorder. Well, since I was about 10 years old, I wake up in the middle of the night and have chocolate chip cookies and milk. I'm 18 now and I still do it -- EVERY NIGHT! I try to stop and tell myself I won't do it, but I still do, sometimes even twice in one night. I'm not sure this is a medical problem, but what should I do to stop?

Kristin

Without knowing more about your behavior or evaluating you personally, I can't say whether or not your nocturnal eating is a manifestation of some medical or psychological problem. But I'll mention some possibilities that you might explore.

If you've read my previous response about night eating, you already know some of the basics to examine. For instance, trying to diet or restrict what you're eating in order to lose weight or maintain your weight can fuel nighttime eating. Make sure you're eating well (including foods that you enjoy, like chocolate chip cookies and milk) during the daytime, so you don't have a physiological need to refuel yourself during the night.

You might also look for any stress or other problems that could be driving either your nocturnal eating or a sleep disturbance. One question I'd have, if I were seeing a client with a similar concern as yours, would be which is the primary problem -- the awakening in the middle of the night (sometimes more than once) or the eating itself? In other words, do you have trouble sleeping and then get up and have some milk and cookies to soothe yourself and facilitate your falling back to sleep, or do you wake up (and get up) primarily because you want to eat? (And if the latter, are you physically hungry or emotionally hungry?)

Regardless of the origins of the problem -- that is, whether it developed as an attempt to cope with insomnia or as an attempt to fill an empty stomach -- it has probably now become a habit. The good news is that habits can be changed. Your best bet is to substitute other behaviors for the one you want to change -- making sure, of course, those substitute behaviors are safe and appropriate.

For instance, you might develop a list of other things you can do when or if you wake in the middle of the night instead of eating milk and cookies. Think about the purpose such nighttime eating serves for you, and brainstorm other ways you could meet those needs. If you eat to calm or soothe yourself, you could take a warm bath instead; journal, draw or paint about what's bothering you; drink a cup of herbal or noncaffeinated tea; etc.

If you have trouble staying asleep, try cutting out caffeine and stimulating drinks during the day as well as at night, getting regular (moderate) exercise earlier in the day (late-night exercise can "rev" you up), and decreasing the stress in your life. If you continue to have trouble, or think there may be more to your problem than what I've covered here, consider seeing a counselor or therapist for further discussion and recommendations.