Warning on 'sleep eating' pill

A popular insomnia pill may cause people to eat uncontrollably while asleep, authorities have warned.

Health officials have alerted doctors to risks associated with the popular insomnia pill Stilnox after reports of drugged people eating uncontrollably while asleep.
In one report lodged with the federal government's drug reaction committee, a patient put on 23kg over seven months while taking the powerful medication.

"It was only when she was discovered eating in front of an open refrigerator while asleep that the problem was resolved," the committee reported in its latest bulletin.

Another Stilnox user was discovered by a relative pulling food from the kitchen cupboards at night, explaining her mysterious weight gain.

One woman reported waking up with a paintbrush in her hand after having painted the front door while asleep, while a man reported walking around the house like a "mad man" while asleep.

Two reports suggested patients had driven while asleep, while two described binge-eating and subsequent weight gain.