I think I have an eating disorder but am not sure?

I'm trying to figure out if what I have is an eating disorder or if it just poor will-power and mindless eating. I notice that I tend to eat at night. I don't eat much during the day but at night I tend to crave a lot of food and I eat. I am a light sleeper and sometimes I will have a sugar craving and I will go in the kitchen and fix a snack and then go back to bed. I've been doing this for years. I am now pondering if this could be an eating disorder and if it is what type of eating disorder?

I am overweight and have struggled with my weight problem since puberty. I don't eat full course meals during the night but I do eat a lot snack foods.

If late night eating is concerning you (as it is unhealthy and can lead to weight gain) I have one suggestion you should try. Everything in your body runs on a biological clock (mostly controlled by your hypothalamus). When you sleep, when you get hungry etc is all on a timer.
I suggest that even if you are not hungry, force yourself to eat breakfast within an hour after waking up. Continue to eat a meal, even if you're not hungry on a regular schedule for 3 meals (breakfast being the most important). What this will eventually do is "reset" the timer in your brain telling you nighttime is not the right time to be hungry. After one week you should notice that your body is getting hungry more in the morning and not so much at night.
If after one week you are still having problems eating at night, try seeing your family physician. I don't think this is an eating disorder, but could perhaps be a sign you have a biological problem. For example, a thyroid disorder and hypoglycemia can both cause irregular eating habits and cravings for sugar - and all of these biological conditions are treatable! Either way, good luck

Poor eating habits are a disorder. The carbon in sugar is my downfall . Alcoholics don't like sugar. I don't know how to say comfort foods do hurt us but if you can add way more plants to your menu everything will be okay. When you have a person for comfort you don't eat as much. It seems therein lies the secret. Every time you make a new friend it helps.

Oh no...my friend had this. it's called Nocternal Analemia. She had to take several pills and consult a therapist for several months. I'm afraid she never recovered and she has since passed on.

I highly suggest you meet with a nutritionist, therapist and a doctor. GET THE HELP YOU NEED NOW! The worst thing you can do is wait.

i dont think that its a eating disorder
loads of people are like that
maybe you are just more hungry during the night than in the day
i have loads of friends that are like that

are you over or under weight?? if your over weight, try getting your sugar from grapes apples etc fill your fridge with these things rather than cakes sweets, so you can pick at them easily rather than junk

you need to explain more of what & how much you eat
& your height & weight.

doesnt sound like eating disorder. are you obsessed with food/ losing wheight . or unable to stop eating until u feel sick? thats generally an eating disorder. u seem to have disordered eating patterns. the reason ur craving sugar at night is coz ur not eating during the day. brain runs solely on glucose and needs a steady supply. when u start eating in the eve ur blood sugar levels are probably v low and as it takes a while for the food uve eaten to be digested and the rain to recognise that its got its fuel u wont be able to stop eating untill the brain gives the signal that its refuelled.
u will wake up in the night craving sugar if u havent eaten much because ur sugar levels are dropping to low and if left to drop u could go into a coma. thats why u wake up its a survival thing. eat more regularly in the day and have something like a bowl of cereal b4 bed im suure ull find that not only will ur binges stop but ull also sleep betta