Feeling hungry at night is a sign of psychological problems
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Many women, as well as men, quite often have a very strong desire to have a snack in the middle of the night or, at least, have a supper before bedtime. This state has a special medical name - a syndrome of night sleep (SNA).
For the first time this condition was revealed and described in 1955 by scientist Stenkard-Gres Wolf. The specialist noted a bad mood, irritability, anxiety among people who liked to have a snack at night. In such people there is a violation of the hormonal background, the biological clock and the process of metabolism, as a result, emotional instability occurs (hypoglycemia).
According to statistics, 10% of the world's population is affected by the nocturnal appetite syndrome, the sex does not matter here, both men and women suffer equally from this illness. At first glance, this is nothing special, but SNA causes severe damage to health and lowers the quality of life. First of all, the digestive system suffers, because of an incorrect diet, a person is prone to flatulence, constipation. At night, all processes in the body slow down, including digestion, a tight dinner before bed does not allow the body to recover normally during a night's sleep, which leads to the exhaustion of vitality.
There are several symptoms by which SNA can be defined:
- lack of appetite in the morning;
- increased appetite in the evening;
- the amount of food eaten is not controlled;
- at night there is a sudden feeling of hunger;
- frequent awakenings, restless, anxious sleep.
American scientists in the course of certain studies, tried to find out the reason for this state. They noticed that SNA increases the number of serotonin transporters in the brain, and this leads to a disruption of the functions that are responsible for saturation. To that, an increased number of transports worsens the chemical composition of the brain, which causes a state of anxiety, anxiety, depression, hostility. Add to this the guilt of the person himself for such behavior and the inability to change anything. This condition is fraught with serious psychological problems.
Such a state, according to statistics, begins after a severe stressful situation in a person's life, also the cause of SNA can be an innate feeling of anxiety that disappears after eating. Also, experts do not exclude a hereditary factor and a violation of the hormonal background. Lead to this state can be a very strict diet, after which there is a breakdown and a person literally pounces on everything edible. Defective, improper food (fast food), etc. Also provokes the development of SNA.
To solve the problem, you need the help of a specialist, first you need to consult a therapist. A good specialist will help to find out the cause of SNA and will prescribe appropriate therapy. Also, the help of a psychotherapist and a nutritionist is not unnecessary. The psychotherapist will help to establish the psychological problem that caused the SNA, suggest solutions. The nutritionist will adjust your diet and diet, if the SNA is caused by the wrong diet. The therapist will conduct some studies, determine the state of hormones, in case of any violations, appoint a treatment that will help the body return to a normal lifestyle.