Night eating syndrome: effects of brief relaxation training on stress, mood, hunger, and eating patterns.
BACKGROUND
Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by a lack of appetite in the morning, consumption of 50% or more of daily food intake after 6:00 p.m., and difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. It has been associated with stress and with poor results at attempts to lose weight.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relaxation intervention (Abbreviated Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy, APRT) that has been shown to significantly reduce stress levels in normal, healthy adults would also benefit an NES sample.


METHODS
A total of 20 adults with NES were randomly assigned to either a relaxation training (APRT) or a Control (quietly sitting for the same amount of time) group, and all subjects attended two laboratory sessions 1 week apart. Pre- and postsession indices of stress, anxiety, relaxation, and salivary cortisol were obtained, as well as Day 1 and Day 8 indices of mood. Food diaries and hunger ratings were also obtained.


RESULTS
The results indicated that 20 min of a muscle relaxation exercise significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and salivary cortisol immediately postsession. After practicing these exercises daily for a week, subjects exhibited lowered stress, anxiety, fatigue, anger, and depression on Day 8. APRT was also associated with significantly higher a.m. and lower p.m. ratings of hunger, and a trend of both more breakfast and less night-time eating.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support the role of stress and anxiety in NES and suggest that practicing relaxation may be an important component of treatment for this condition.
Pawlow
L A
LA
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weight Management Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
O'Neil
P M
PM
Malcolm
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001066:Appetite; D001835:Body Weight; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors