Sleepwalker snacks during the night

A sleepwalker has been forced to diet during the day because she stuffs her face at night.

Lesley Cusack chomps on fry-ups, soup and fruit while in her altered state – and has even tried paint, soap powder and raw potatoes.

The 55-year-old has sleep-related eating disorder, a rare condition that gives her no control over her eating habits during the night.

‘I can only tell by the remains in the morning,’ said Ms Cusack.

‘I tend to find opened tins or packets, and I’ve no idea whether I’ve eaten them cold or not.

Snoozy Snacks

‘Sometimes, I’ve found soup in pans, but also in bowls. It can all get rather messy.’

She added: ‘I’m trying lose weight but it’s a constant battle. I can follow a diet to the letter but it goes to pot at night.’

Ms Cusack, who lives alone, has tried setting her alarm clock to wake her up in the night but says she switches it off while asleep.

‘The worst things that I know I’ve eaten are emulsion paint, Vaseline (yummy!), cough syrup, raw potatoes and soap powder,’ she said.

Ms Cusack’s condition has forced her to ask friends to look after some of her food and makes her scared to stay at other people’s homes.

Dr Paul Reading, a neurologist and president of the British Sleep Society, said adult sleepwalkers have been known to eat and cook foods they wouldn’t normally consume.

‘Weight gain and guilt are common consequences of this,’ he added. ‘Stress may trigger complex sleep-walking.’

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