Table 1.

Comparison of night eating syndrome and binge eating disorder

Criterion	Night eating syndrome	Binge eating disorder
Amount of food consumed	Often the size of a small meal or snack	For a core criterion needs to be objectively large
Degree of control	Can range from complete control to minimal (with or without loss of control)	Minimal to none; loss of control is needed
Associated mood	Evening dysphoria	Increased depressive symptoms but not associated with time of day
Associated sleep concerns	Sleep-onset or maintenance insomnia common	Not associated with diagnosis
Motivation/precipitants	Belief that one needs to eat to fall to sleep or back to sleep	Variable; can include urges and emotional eating components
Level of weight/shape concern	Typically lower level of concern; may be associated if patient experiences weight gain	Often connected with weight and body image concerns