A rare health condition could be causing some people to eat while they’re sound asleep. 

Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) is an abnormal behavior called parasomnia that occurs during sleep.

The condition causes a person to eat — and in some cases even prepare food — while asleep, according to experts.

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Kara Becker, a certified eating disorders specialist and national director of eating disorder programs for Newport Healthcare in California, told Fox News Digital that people who experience this sleepy snacking usually have no recollection of it the next morning.

A person can have more than one sleep-eating event per night — and it can happen even if the person isn’t hungry, Becker noted.

Certain medications can cause SRED, as can smoking cessation, alcohol and drug use, stress, narcolepsy and dieting, according to the expert.

Drug-induced SRED can also occur after taking sedative-hypnotic drugs to treat insomnia, Cleveland Clinic noted on its website.

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Symptoms of the disorder can include repeated episodes of “out-of-control” eating and drinking when asleep, eating strange combinations of foods, or loss of appetite in the morning, Becker said.

The expert also flagged the dangers that can come with cooking or eating during the night, such as fires, burns and cuts.

Symptoms of the disorder can include repeated episodes of “out-of-control” eating and drinking when asleep, eating strange combinations of foods, or loss of appetite in the morning.  (iStock)

Fox News Digital also spoke to clinical psychologist Kelly Baron, PhD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine lab at the University of Utah, about symptoms and dangers of non-REM parasomnia.

SRED can cause dental issues and can interfere with weight-loss goals, Baron noted.

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“In some cases, the person could cook and injure themselves or run into things,” she warned. 

“People can eat non-food items at times,” Baron said. “I wrote a case series with a colleague and one patient had eaten dog food in his sleep or a casserole with his hands, making a big mess.”

People with SRED could “fall or bump into things” or cut or burn themselves during an episode, an expert warned. (iStock)

Consuming large amounts of calories without mindfully eating is “not recommended for anyone and can be very disruptive to adequate nutrition consumption,” Becker added.

“Some may even consume hazardous substances at night without knowing, putting their health immediately at risk.”

So who is at risk?

SRED episodes are more likely to occur with lack of sleep, so conditions like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can be risk factors, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.

People are more likely to have SRED if they’re closely related to someone who sleepwalks, if they feel stressed out or sleep-deprived during the day, if they suffer from an eating disorder, or if they have anxiety or depression.

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“For other people, having another sleep disorder can trigger sleepwalking behavior, including night eating, so having a sleep evaluation is really important,” Baron advised.

Those suffering from this condition should be evaluated at a sleep center, an expert said. (iStock)

For some people, sleepwalking is an inherited risk that continues from childhood into adulthood, according to Baron.

Treatment options

There are several treatment options for SRED, including reducing and eliminating triggers and addressing other sleep disorders, Baron told Fox News Digital.

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People can also implement techniques to improve sleep behaviors and try taking medication, the expert said.

Becker also suggested implementing safety precautions at home, like installing locks on kitchen cabinets and refrigerators and removing dangerous obstacles.

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People with SRED should also get “plenty of regular sleep,” she encouraged, as the condition can heighten with sleep deprivation.

“It’s also recommended to participate in a sleep study so that your health care provider can better understand your nighttime activity,” she said.

SRED is most common in women under 20 years old, according to Cleveland Clinic. (iStock)

SRED is a condition separate from night eating syndrome (NES), which causes people to feel compelled to eat before bed or to wake up multiple times in the night to eat and then return to bed, Baron said.

SRED is most common in women under 20 years old, according to Cleveland Clinic, but it can occur in anyone. 

Between 1% and 5% of adults experience parasomnia.

Experts suggest seeking a health care provider if SRED episodes are suspected.

A chemotherapy drug could cause “significant” hearing loss among cancer survivors, according to a study from the University of South Florida and Indiana University.

Researchers tracked 100 testicular cancer survivors who received a chemo drug called cisplatin for an average of 14 years, as a press release from USF noted.

Among the participants, who averaged 48 years of age, 78% of them reported experiencing “significant difficulties in everyday listening situations.”

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This was reportedly the first study to assess potential hearing loss among cancer survivors.

“Patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy are at high risk for permanent hearing loss, and for some, that hearing loss will progress years after chemo treatment,” lead author Victoria Sanchez, associate professor in the USF Health Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, told Fox News Digital in an email. 

“This hearing loss affects how people hear in everyday life, like a noisy restaurant or other social gatherings.”

Cisplatin is a type of chemotherapy drug that contains the metal platinum, according to the National Cancer Institute’s website.

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The IV-administered drug is approved to treat bladder cancer, ovarian cancer and testicular cancer, the NCI states, either alone or in combination with other medications.

Higher doses of cisplatin were linked to more severe cases of hearing loss, the researchers found.

Cisplatin is a type of chemotherapy drug that contains the metal platinum, according to the National Cancer Institute’s website. (iStock)

Those at highest risk included patients with poor heart health or high blood pressure.

“It was surprising to see that cardiovascular conditions are related to increased hearing loss and progression of hearing loss, which speaks to the need for patients to consider healthy lifestyle choices to help protect their ears,” Sanchez said.

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The ears are especially vulnerable to the drug because they cannot filter it out, according to the USF researchers.

“This leads to inflammation and the destruction of sensory cells that are critical for coding sound, causing permanent hearing loss that can progressively get worse well after cisplatin treatments are completed,” the release stated.

Researchers tracked 100 testicular cancer survivors who received a chemo drug called cisplatin for an average of 14 years. (iStock)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cisplatin for testicular cancer treatment in 1978, according to the NIH.

Packaging labels for the drug warn of the potential for ototoxicity, which involves damage to the inner ear as a side effect of medication.

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“Hearing loss can be unilateral or bilateral and tends to become more frequent and severe with repeated doses,” the packaging stated.

“Decreased ability to hear normal conversational tones may occur.”

It is unclear whether the drug-induced ototoxicity is reversible, according to the packaging.

“If a hearing loss is identified, treatment and help for hearing loss is available,” the lead study author said. “Health care providers can talk to patients about their risk of hearing loss and a plan for survivorship.” (iStock)

Based on the findings, the researcher recommends that cancer patients talk to their health care providers about possible hearing loss as a side effect of treatment and to receive hearing evaluations while receiving chemotherapy. 

“Check your hearing if you have any concerns,” Sanchez advised.  

“If hearing loss is identified, treatment and help for hearing loss is available. Health care providers can talk to patients about their risk of hearing loss and a plan for survivorship.”

The ears are especially vulnerable to the drug because they cannot filter it out, according to the USF researchers. (iStock)

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, noted that cisplatin is a “highly effective treatment” for testicular cancer, improving the cure rate from 10% to 90% when used in combination with other drugs. 

“[The drug has a] very high degree of side effects, [including] hearing loss, which is very well-known, in up to 80% of patients,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital via email. 

A cost-benefit analysis should be performed for all treatments, the doctor advised.

“High doses of chemotherapy (especially ones that are platinum-based) and radiation to the head, ear or brain can cause damage and hearing problems in one or both ears,” the ACS stated.  (iStock)

“Since this is a potentially deadly cancer, the benefits are generally worth the side effects, until newer, less toxic and equally effective treatments are developed,” Siegel said.

The main limitation of the study, according to Sanchez, is that all of the patients were very similar — males treated for testicular cancer.

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“We need to conduct additional studies to understand women treated with cisplatin and for other types of cancers,” she said.

The goal is that the research will lead to alternatives in chemotherapy treatment plans and preventative medications to reduce the risk of hearing loss, according to USF.

“Hearing loss related to cancer treatment is often permanent (doesn’t go away), but a hearing aid might help.”

The American Cancer Society warns on its website of the potential for chemotherapy drugs to impact hearing.

“High doses of chemotherapy (especially ones that are platinum-based) and radiation to the head, ear or brain can cause damage and hearing problems in one or both ears,” the ACS stated. 

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“Hearing loss related to cancer treatment is often permanent (doesn’t go away), but a hearing aid might help.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA, the ACS and several manufacturers of branded cisplatin medications requesting comment.