Why Do I Binge Eat At Night? 5 Possible Reasons

Updated by: Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN

There are a few reasons why you might experience binge eating at night, including inadequate food intake during the day and high stress levels. 

Because nighttime overeating can be a sign of binge eating disorder, be sure to talk to your doctor if you experience this frequently. 

Continue reading to learn why binge eating happens at night and tips for overcoming this behavior. 

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Why Do I Binge Eat at Night? Common Causes

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about binge eating or night eating.

In addition, it’s helpful to think about your diet and lifestyle and how each may affect your eating behaviors. 

1. Restrictive Dieting During the Day 

Being on a restrictive diet, commonly skipping meals, or having an irregular eating pattern throughout the day may contribute to evening binge eating. 

Skipping meals or eating too few calories can increase your biological drive for food by the end of the day.

Additionally, research shows that the psychological effects of feeling deprived can contribute to overeating. 

2. Emotional Eating 

Emotional eating, a common symptom of binge eating disorder, is when a person overeats in response to negative emotions.

Eating highly palatable foods can boost dopamine levels in the brain, temporarily improving mood. 

Not having proper tools to regulate emotions without food can increase binge eating behaviors and may also contribute to weight fluctuations or mood disorders. 

3. Hunger Hormone Imbalance

In some cases, binge eating in the evening may be tied to an imbalance of appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. 

Ghrelin is a hormone that triggers hunger; leptin helps you feel full.

‍Research shows that people who binge eat experience higher levels of ghrelin, which increases the drive to eat. 

In addition, ghrelin is naturally higher in the evenings, which, in combination with other factors, may encourage overeating. 

4. Exhaustion and Stress

High stress levels and poor sleep can lead to increased appetite in some people, contributing to food cravings and overeating. 

Additionally, evening binge eating and night eating are both associated with poor sleep quality and low morning appetite.

A decreased appetite first thing in the day may contribute to a cycle in which people who skip breakfast feel extra hungry later in the day, leading to overeating or binge eating at night.

5. Habitual Behavior

Sometimes, evening overeating becomes a nightly ritual after a busy day.

It can be a way to unwind and cope with the stress of the day. Over time, your body may start to expect a lot of food at night. 

Working with a therapist or registered dietitian can help you unlearn this habit and build new coping mechanisms for relaxing in the evening. 

6. Certain Food or Body-Image Triggers

For some people, social media or other body image triggers can influence the desire to overeat at night. 

Studies have found that certain social media posts involving bodies or food behavior can increase the risk of binge eating.

Many people use their phones at night, making them more likely to come in contact with this type of trigger.

What Is Binge Eating? 

If you commonly overeat in the evenings, you may be wondering if you’re experiencing binge eating. 

Binge eating occurs when a person eats a large amount of food in one sitting, often when not physically hungry.

It’s associated with feeling a lack of control along with guilt and shame. Common characteristics of a binge eating episode include:

• Eating quickly.
• Feeling overly full afterward. 
• Eating in private.
• Low mood. 

When binge eating happens at least once per week over three months, it may be classified as binge eating disorder (BED), an eating disorder that requires treatment. 

What Is Night Eating Syndrome?

On the other hand, if you often wake up throughout the night and feel a strong urge to eat to help you fall back asleep, you may be dealing with night eating syndrome (NES). 

NES is different from binge eating because it doesn’t always involve overeating in one sitting. Instead, night eating usually means waking throughout the night to snack. 

Night eating syndrome is characterized by the following behaviors: 

• Eating over 25% of daily calories overnight.
• Waking at least two times per night to eat. 
• Lack of hunger in the morning. 
• Depressed mood, especially at night.

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Tips for Overcoming Evening Binge Eating

With the guidance of your healthcare team, consider the following strategies to address evening binge eating.

Plan Balanced and Satisfying Meals Throughout the Day 

The first step in managing evening binge eating is to make sure you are eating enough during the day.

Avoid skipping meals when hungry, and plan to have balanced nutrition at each meal to help you feel satisfied. 

If you’re accustomed to skipping breakfast and eating most of your calories in the evening, this new schedule may take some time to adjust. Consider a small piece of fruit or a handful of nuts to at least break your overnight fast.

Start with small changes and consider working with a registered dietitian for guidance.  

Address Underlying Mental Health Concerns

Binge eating and night eating are complex and can be related to mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, and difficulty regulating emotions.

Working with your doctor and a therapist to manage these conditions and learn alternate coping mechanisms can help reduce evening overeating. 

Practice Mindful Eating 

Evening eating may take place in front of the television, smart device, or in social settings.

Eating while distracted makes overeating easier because you aren’t focused on your hunger and fullness signals.  

Practicing mindful eating strategies like slowing down, limiting distractions, and monitoring your hunger and fullness cues can help you learn how to enjoy an evening snack without overeating. 

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Create a Relaxing Evening Routine 

If you use food as a way to unwind from a stressful day, think about other ways to relax in the evening. A relaxing evening routine may include things like: 

• Going for a walk. 
• Listening to music. 
• Taking a bath. 
• Practicing yoga. 
• Reading a book.
• Watching a favorite show.

In addition to creating a relaxing evening routine, it can also be helpful to think about ways to build relaxation into your day, like prioritizing a lunch break or doing a five-minute meditation. 

Eat Enough Protein

Protein is a satiating nutrient that helps you feel fuller longer.

Eating enough protein during the day can lower your appetite, translating to eating less food at night.

Protein-rich foods include:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish
• Beef
• Pork
• Yogurt
• Nuts and seeds
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Legumes
• Tofu
• Protein powder

Try to include these foods at every meal and snack.

Can Binge Eating At Night Cause Other Health Conditions?

Binge eating at night is associated with other health conditions such as obesity, difficulty losing weight, type 2 diabetes, and sleep disorders.

Some research also suggests that night eating is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality or mortality from cancer and diabetes, but the risk is reduced when food is eaten before 11 p.m.

The increased risk of other health conditions could be related to the intake of foods higher in calories, sugar, or fat, disruption of sleep cycles, and disruption of hormones that control blood sugar and fat metabolism.

Know When To Seek Professional Help

Consider talking to your doctor if you are concerned about binge eating at night.

In some cases, frequent evening overeating can indicate an eating disorder and should be treated. 

Your doctor can assess your symptoms and make a proper diagnosis to get you the support you need. 

Working with a therapist or registered dietitian can help you overcome evening overeating and improve your relationship with food.

There are also medication options for treating binge eating and night eating syndrome.

Takeaway

Eating primarily in the evenings is the result of multiple factors, including inadequate calorie intake during the day, high stress, hormonal imbalances, and difficulty regulating negative emotions. 

If you often overeat at night and feel a lack of control while eating, talk to your doctor about binge eating disorder.

Work with your healthcare team to develop strategies for combating this, such as prioritizing proper nutrition during the day and learning emotional regulation tools. 

Managing Binge Eating with Nourish

Whether you have the occasional overeating episode or you've been diagnosed with binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome, a binge eating dietitian can help you overcome these behaviors. 

They'll work with you to identify diet and lifestyle factors contributing to night binge eating and help you create a plan to redistribute your food intake throughout the day and nourish your body. 

Find a dietitian near you that accepts insurance through Nourish.

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