Night eating in bipolar disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Sleep Medicine
• Circadian Biology

Background:

• Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by reduced daytime intake and evening hyperphagia, often with nocturnal awakenings and food consumption.
• NES has not been previously studied in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of NES in euthymic patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD).

Main Methods:

• Eighty BD patients and 40 controls completed questionnaires assessing NES, mood, functioning, physical activity, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, insomnia severity, and chronotype.
• Standardized instruments included the Night Eating Questionnaire, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Anxiety, and Young Mania Rating Scale.

Main Results:

• Night eating syndrome (NES) was identified in 8.8% of bipolar disorder (BD) patients, with no cases found in controls.
• BD patients with NES reported significantly poorer functioning, increased anxiety, greater insomnia severity, and worse sleep quality compared to BD patients without NES.
• Individuals with NES in the BD group exhibited a more pronounced evening chronotype.

Conclusions:

• Night eating syndrome (NES) is more prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) patients than in the general population.
• NES in BD is associated with increased anxiety, functional impairment, and disrupted sleep patterns.
• The findings suggest a potential role for circadian rhythm disturbances in NES among BD patients, warranting further investigation into chronotherapy interventions.