DD keeps going down in the middle of the night and eating a lot.

[Milkbottlelid]

Hello, DD is 15 and keeps getting up at around 2:30am to make a sandwich/cheese on toast, crisps, put freezer food in the oven, etc.

I've spoken to her about it and told her not to and ever since then, she just pretends she doesn't (she clearly does as food is going like we're feeding the whole street) and I sometimes hear her up.

I'm not sure what to do really? I've approached her a couple of times and she just says she hasn't and will just lie about it. Sometimes she admits it but then gets very defensive about me replying

She has gained some weight and I'm worried about the health impact.

If it’s the same time every night could you get up just before hand, claim you couldn’t sleep and share a hot drink and chat together? Just wondering if she’s struggling at that time of night and her only comfort is food

What a good idea daisydreaming

Is she setting the alarm?

Yes like that daisy

Could it be her thyroid?

OP a 15 year old is still growing. you sound a bit controlling with food, are you sure your 3 meals a day are enough?
she could be sleep walking, it could be an eating disorder or the munchies.
start by seeing the dr and getting an nhs referral to a dietician.

you sound a bit controlling with food

The OP hasnt shared enough for you to possibly make this assertion and do you really think that Gps make referrals without evidence. I doubt "my teenager gets the munchies" is enough for a dietician referral.

The truth is If the daughter won't speak to mum she is unlikely to speak to a Gp anyway.

OP I hope you have a successful chat with DD perhaps set your alarm for 2.15 tonight and go downstairs and wait as daisy suggested.

I don’t think it’s at all fair to say that op is controlling with food!

I think all you can do is wait up for her and go down when you hear her, OP. Talking to her gently might then help you find out what’s going on with her.

It sounds most likely to be a combination of emotional/growth eating, but just to throw this in there, I remember seeing a lady on TV who was gaining weight and didn’t know why. They filmed her at night and she was shocked to see herself get up and make a meal. Here’s the syndrome, and there’s a link on there to a similar thing where people are aware of what they are doing:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturnal_sleep-related_eating_disorder

Hope you manage to get to the bottom of it.

@garethsouthgatesmrs yes, people with bulimia often maintain a normal or even higher than normal weight, it's incredibly difficult to throw up enough and quickly enough to offset such a large amount of calories. Plus most Bulimics eat normal meals with family on top of binges. Bulimics only tend to lose if they are throwing up almost everything they eat, and following rituals such as flushing their stomachs with watcher after to get everything out. Otherwise, the constant binging will quickly make you gain weight. Also, you can be bulimic without throwing up, or have binge eating disorder or OSFED. The only common eating disorder which requires the person to have a low bodyweight as a criteria for diagnosis is anorexia.

OP, I'm not saying your DD has bulimia. I think there are other potential causes to explore first. But don't write it off because of weight gain. See a doctor if you are concerned.

Have you had her blood sugar checked? I used to do this because I was having hypos in the middle of the night. Unfortunately I didn't realise it was a hypo and nobody realised it was my blood sugar that was a problem until many years later.

It not a solution but can you stop having snack food in the house such as crisps and potato waffles. I know she will still make sandwiches but they might not be as attractive for late night eating than snack food.

When I was in my 20's I was often noticing crumbs and general mess in my kitchen in the morning. I was dieting and getting up in the night to sleep eat.

Good idea from Daisy

The very FIRST thing you need to do is stop buying all of that garbage disguised as food. If it's not there, she can't eat it. Isn't that just common sense? Secondly, you need to keep talking to her and her her therapy if she isn't able to control herself. Don't stick your head in the sand and think this will just go away. Your daughter needs someone who is mature enough to take control and get her the help she needs.

Eating at the wrong time of the day will affect her circadian rhythm. She may be in a cycle now where her body wakes her because it expects to be fed. It’s a bit like the munchies you get in the middle of the night with jet lag.

It will affect the quality of her sleep too.

I’d try explaining this and suggest she has no snacks and allows her body time to get back to the right rhythm or she will do herself long term harm.

I’d also try offering her some counselling on her own in case she has things she feels she can’t talk to you about or even to just discuss her relationship with food.

Good luck OP

It's a no brainer isn't it?

Don't put junk food in the fridge or freezer!

Have only fresh, frozen or canned fruit, vegetables and fish.

Make sure bread is high quality and have brown rice and pasta stored.

Encourage her to flick through recipe books and choose things to cook together or let her experiment with cooking herself.

Give her gym membership or make time together to go walking or swimming perhaps?

Your job as a parent is to make sure she is is equipped with all the social, emotional and physical skills to become a healthy and happy adult.

So with that in mind you can help and guide her to make healthy choices.