Why You Binge at Night and How to Stop

Do you oftentimes eat healthy during the day, but when it comes to your nighttime routine you can’t seem to stop yourself from snacking? If this is you, you’re not alone! Endless snacking at night is very common, and is usually a result of a number of components. Today, we’ll uncover some potential reasons why you’re feeling out of control around snacks at night and how to curb your mindless eating in the future.

Why you’re binge eating at night

There are many reasons why you might be binge eating at night. The first reason why is that you might not be eating enough during the day. Those who don’t need enough during the day find themselves starving when nighttime rolls around, leading you to eat everything in sight. Common reasons for not eating enough during the day include busy days, not planning ahead, or not knowing what to eat. Another reason for binge eating at night is hormonal imbalances which can lead to increased intake at night. 

Another reason why you might be binge eating at night is due to emotional eating. Emotional eating is when you eat food to cope with certain feelings that you’re having. After a stressful or emotional day, choosing food as your coping mechanism is extremely common.

One of the last major reasons why individuals binge eat at night is due to bored eating. Bored eating is a type of emotional eating however at this time, we eat because we’re feeling bored. This can also be a form of habitual eating – eating out of habit. Habitual eating at night is most commonly shown by those who automatically grab dessert after dinner. Many times, we don’t actually crave the dessert but instead, we want it because we always have dessert after dinner.

Emotional eating, bored eating, increased appetite, and not eating enough during the day can all lead to binge eating at night.

What does it mean to binge eat? 

Binge eating is when you consume an unusually large amount of food at a given time. People who binge eat are unable to stop, and therefore overeat.

Overeating is common on certain occasions, such as having a birthday or holiday. But for some people, binge eating occurs more frequently, even on a daily basis. Those who binge eat are unable to stop and feel sick or uncomfortable afterwards. This can lead to a feeling of guilt or shame after eating as well.

 

How to get your binge eating under control 

No matter what the cause of your binge eating is, there are some things that you can do to get your binge eating under control.

1. Consume enough during the day: as we’ve mentioned, you may be eating too much at night because you’re overcompensating for what you are missing during the day. Oftentimes, you’re not eating enough energy in the form of calories. This can lead to an increased appetite as the day goes on, especially at dinner. To make sure that you’re getting enough food in, plan to eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day and don’t go too many hours without eating. Planning meals ahead and having snacks ready can be useful, especially on busy days. Pure Plates can help you out with this by providing healthy meal prepped meals straight to your door. Check out our Best Sellers list to have ready-to-eat meals that will meet your nutrition needs. Snacks can also play a role in making sure you’re consuming enough. Pure Plates has plenty of nourishing snack options that can keep you full and satisfied throughout the day so you’re less likely to binge at night.
2. Get enough sleep: sleep is one of the most important things that we can do for our body! Getting adequate sleep should be one of your top priorities. A lack of sleep may lead to inconsistent eating, cravings, or inflammation in the body.
3. Find ways to cope with your emotions outside of food: finding ways to cope with your emotions outside of food is another important way to manage binge eating at night. As we’ve mentioned, emotional eating is a major reason why we endlessly snack at night. Try inserting another habit instead of grabbing for another cookie. FaceTime a friend, read a book, or dance to your favorite music. If you’re having trouble finding something to do, take yourself out of the kitchen area where your food can be out of sight. By using a meal delivery service like Pure Plates, you’ll also have more nourishing options than not in your house.
4. Get enough protein: protein is an important nutrient to keep us full and satisfied throughout the day. Eating enough protein throughout the day, and especially starting your day with protein, can help to reduce binge eating at night. Protein sources include meat, dairy, beans, tofu, and legumes. Pure Plates has plenty of protein-rich sources of food provided straight to your door – we have different menu options such as chicken, fish, or vegetarian items to meet all dietary needs.
5. Drink plenty of water oftentimes, dehydration may mimic signs of hunger. When we’re busy, we’re also less likely to consume enough water throughout the day. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water per day. If you have trouble meeting your water intake, set a timer on your phone, download a reminder app, or carry around a water bottle to remind yourself to consume more. 

If you’re a binge eater, first identify the root cause of your habits. Then, make a plan to focus on healthier habits that will decrease your binge eating at night. Pure Plates can help you to focus on healthier eating and to choose more nourishing foods in your diet. Pure Plates takes the guesswork out of healthy eating by providing healthy meals straight to your door. Lean more here.