From U North Carolina: Sleep problems are associated with binge eating in women

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331832

Int J Eat Disord. 2012 Feb 13. doi: 10.1002/eat.22003. [Epub ahead of print]
Sleep problems are associated with binge eating in women.
Trace SE, Thornton LM, Runfola CD, Lichtenstein P, Pedersen NL, Bulik CM.
Source
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
We examined the association among current self-reported sleep problems, lifetime binge eating (BE), and current obesity in women from the Swedish Twin study of Adults: Genes and Environment.

METHOD:
Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate these associations in 3,790 women aged 20-47 years.

RESULTS:
BE was reported by 244 (6.4%) women and was positively associated with not getting enough sleep (p < .015), sleeping poorly (p < .001), problems falling asleep (p < .001), feeling sleepy during work or free time (p < .001), and disturbed sleep (p < .001). These same sleep variables, as well as napping and being a night person, were also significantly associated with obesity. The associations between BE and sleep remained after accounting for obesity.

DISCUSSION:
This investigation offers empirical support for an independent association between sleep problems and BE, which is likely due to complex psychological, biological, neuroendocrine, and metabolic factors.