Sleep and body weight:  what’s the connection?

Eating and sleeping are usually thought of as mutually exclusive activities – you generally either do one or the other.  But I’ve met plenty of people who get up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night and eat.  And it’s not just a glass of milk or a couple of crackers – some get up and make themselves a big sandwich, heat up leftovers, or throw a frozen pizza in the oven.  Another client told me she often woke up in the morning to find dirty dishes in her kitchen sink – which wouldn’t be particularly alarming, except that she lived by herself and had no recollection of having eaten.  She finally had to install a lock on the kitchen door to prevent herself from ‘sleep-eating’. Read more »