Self Regulation With Food and Sleep - typical for adhd girl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both of my kids with ADHD binge eat sweets sometimes, which presents in different ways. I agree it has to do with self-regulation and sleep issues. One of them just eats a lot of sweets during the day, more than most. But it hasn't caused a weight issue and we just continue to stress healthy eating (they eat well at meals). The other one would sneak and binge eat at night and we have had to work with them to stop doing this, more because of the waking up and sneaking around rather than the eating.

OP here. Thank you! Can you offer any tips on how you have handled it? This is precisely what my daughter does. She sneaks and binge eats at night, and I find all kinds of wrappers and entire snack boxes empty in the morning, usually hidden somewhere. What approaches have worked? Did you lock the pantry? She is ADHD combined, and I was thinking this may be akin to compulsive.

No great answer. For a while we put a daycare alarm on their door so it would make noise if they snuck out of their room at night. It worked but obviously felt very punitive. Kid is skinny and we really didn't mind the eating, it was more that they left chocolate wrappers and crumbs/melted chocolate on the carpet, under the bed, etc. They are in middle school now and are sleeping better than they used to, we just make them help clean it up when it happens. We don't want to lock up food, but we do have to lock up electronics and tv remote controls so that child can get rest. Psychiatrist seems to think this is fine and not to worry too much as long as they are getting enough rest.

[Anonymous]

I’m glad you reached out! Have you considered talking to your doctor? My son had ADHD and he never had this type of issue but maybe it is related. Does your dd have any other behavioral issues? Is she a perfectionist? I wonder if a counselor may be able to help you get at the root of this problem. I listen to a morning radio show and I called 1-855-771-4357 for a free counseling consultation regarding a different topic but they were very kind and helpful. Maybe they can give you the direction you are seeking too. I’ll keep you and your dd in my prayers. Big hug from one concerned mother to another.

[Anonymous]

I would be really concerned and I would first approach this by talking to a professional yourself to get tips on generally how to manage the impulse control issues while still creating a healthy culture around food in your home. For us, we just don’t keep sweets or highly-processed carbs in the house AT ALL. The only time anything like that is bought is when there is a specific occasion in mind such as a birthday cake, treats for a class party, etc., and we buy it at the last minute and keep a close eye on it. We found that both of our ADHD twins (age 11 now) behave like addicts with certain kinds of food (basically simple carbs and dairy to a lesser extent). I was told by one specialist that the history of alcoholism on one side of the family could be related (“alcohol is a supercarb”). So we just don’t have junk food. Instead we have tons and tons of healthy food available at all times. They can always eat (in the kitchen). I never comment on or eyeroll or handwring about their choices (as long as it wasn’t labeled as a dinner ingredient). But the stuff that drives the addiction is not a part of their daily lives. For breakfast we do steel cut oats, eggs, homemade whole-grain waffles, plain yogurt with fruit, for lunch I send sandwiches of let them buy lunch (yes, this is often junky food but I think it is helpful for them to practice eating things like chocolate milk in a setting where peers are modeling normal attitudes and they have built-in portion sizing. Dinner is typical healthy fare (chicken, fish or beans/lentils with lots of veggies and quinoa or brown rice). Snacks on hand are tons of fresh fruit and veggies with nut butter or hummus for dip. They also eat popcorn like every day, but we make it plain and then spritz with aerosolized oil and sprinkle with salt. For us we haven’t had issues with hiding food or secretive binging since we changed our approach as a family.

[Anonymous]

This is absolutely an ADHD behavior, but is only now getting recognized as such. Not all professionals are up on it, but search some literature.

I so wish I my ADHD had been recognized and treated as a kid so I wouldn't have carried this food curse with me my whole life.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's ADHD per se but associated with ADHD (in the way that say, anxiety correlates highly with ASD). This is compulsive eating and it does need to be treated.

[Anonymous]

Op I would not buy these foods. It sounds like you have a lot of processed food and junk in the house. Can you stop buying the food? Then talk to someone about how to help your daughter without causing a complex. She hides everything because she clearly feels shame. This can spiral. The PP speaking about alcohol is not wrong. Alcohol is loaded with sugar/carbs and kids who feel out of control can have issues with alcohol down the road. Please speak with someone to get help. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

OP here and thanks to all for the helpful suggestions and/or sharing your experiences. We collected all the trigger foods and hid them in a place that only DH and I can easily access. We don’t have a lot of high sugar and highly processed junk food in the house, as a PP suggested. But do enjoy some
Chocolates treats as dessert or an ice cream novelty occasionally during the summer! We believe in moderation!

[Anonymous]

Don’t completely ban any food but don’t keep junk food in the house. Take her out for ice cream occasionally, for instance, instead of keeping ice cream bars in the house. Have the same policy in place for the rest of the family, too. Focus on health, not weight.

Also, contact a specialist in children with eating issues (& possibly ADHD — there can be a lot of crossover there). Your pediatrician should be able to recommend someone.