How to Stop Binge Eating at Night
Binge eating at night is a challenge many people face.
This way of eating involves consuming a lot of food rapidly until you feel uncomfortable. Afterward, you may experience feelings of guilt and shame. It can become a cycle of behaviors that can feel hard to end or escape.
Why Do I Binge Eat at Night?
Several factors contribute to nighttime binge eating.
Emotional and physical exhaustion after a long day.
Food helps us access joy and pleasure.
You're coping with food.
Let's dive into it.
Many people who struggle with binge eating at night are also depriving or restricting themselves of food during the day.
To find out why you binge eat at night, we need to understand how restricting is manifesting during the day.
Maybe you're actively dieting.
Maybe you're so busy that you're having a hard time eating often and adequately.
Maybe you take medications that are blunting your hunger cues.
Regardless of what it is, taking a curious look at restriction or deprivation can support you in slowing binge eating cycles, which often look like this -->
Remember, restrictive eating patterns during the day often lead to intense hunger at night, setting the stage for a binge eating episode.
You're exhausted. The say the least!
For most of us, the evening is a time to relax and unwinding from the day's stresses. When you're tired and overwhelmed, it's harder to make decisions. This can lead to making quick choices and struggling to say "no".
If you add restriction into this mix, it can be a recipe for a binge.
Food is an easy way to access joy and pleasure.
My guess is that you're busy. Somedays, maybe too busy to stop and smell the roses.
I get it! Work is busy. School is hard. Parenting is exhausting. It can be so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that we don't even realize that we're restricting joy and pleasure. But, our bodies need it. Our brains need it. And, if we aren't getting it in other ways, food is a great way to do it.
Eating has become a way of coping.
This is the last on the list of why's because we truly believe that there is nothing wrong with coping with food. Eating can help you feel more regulated, feel more grounded in your body and move the needle on feeling a little better (enter pleasure).
Do we want it to be your only tool? Not at all.
But, if it is your go-to tool to cope with your emotions, you can't just take it away, because then what will you do?
You have to add in other ways to cope.
At times do you feel worse after you engage in binge eating? Yes (that's why you're here, right?).
Want to know what to do after binge eating? Head here.
How to Stop Binge Eating at Night
Establish an adequate and often enough eating pattern.
Regular meals and snacks throughout the day can prevent extreme hunger in the evening, reducing the likelihood of binge eating. We typically work with folks to increase eating patters to 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, focusing on eating every 3 or so hours.
This includes paying attention to both when you eat and the quality of your meals. It's important to listen to your cravings and not just focus on eating "healthy" or nutrient-dense foods.
Address Emotional Triggers
Since emotional distress is a common trigger for binge eating, adding in coping mechanisms can be game changing in diversifying how you cope with your emotions and overwhelm.
Something to consider: if you binge, add in a way to care for yourself after. When we layer coping skills, or self-care, we increase the likelihood of our ability to choose the way we care for ourselves in harder moments.
This might include journaling, playing with a pet, talking to a friend, or engaging in a hobby.
Remember, feelings of loneliness, boredom, or stress often intensify at night. Understanding what is triggering you emotionally and what you might be needing to care for yourself is so important.
For deeper emotional issues, consulting a mental health professional can provide the support needed to navigate these challenges.
Develop a Nighttime Routine
Activities like reading, gentle stretching, or meditation can help signal to your body that it's time to wind down, helping regulate your (likely) taxed nervous system. Sometimes these thing will serve you in distracting from the urge to eat, and other times calming your body can help you understand where urges to eat are coming from; physiological hunger, or emotional need.
Find Help from a Binge Eating Therapist
If you're struggling with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) or nighttime binge eating, working with a mental health professional who specializes in therapy for binge eating disorder can be helpful.
Therapy, support groups, and medication for underlying mental health conditions can offer strategies and support for overcoming BED.
How to Stop Nighttime Binge Eating
In summary, stopping nighttime binge eating involves a multifaceted approach:
Ending restriction or dieting cycles
Understand the triggers behind your eating episodes, whether they be emotional, psychological, or related to your diet.
Adopt healthier eating patterns by challenging diet rules.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine to reduce the urge to eat at night.
Seek professional support if binge eating episodes persist, as this might indicate a deeper issue such as BED.
Overcoming nighttime binge eating is possible with the right strategies and support.
Here at Reclaim Therapy we specialize in providing binge eating disorder therapy.
We know how hard it can be to feel stuck in a cycle of coping with food, restricting and intense periods of shame on the heels of it all.
We want you to know that healing is possible, and that food does not have to be the enemy. We would be honored to support you in reclaiming your relationship with food.
🧡,
Looking for another kind of therapy support?
We’re a trauma focused team that specializes in treating eating disorders and complex trauma. We provide trauma therapy and EMDR Therapy in Horsham, PA and online to all Pennsylvania residents. We believe that all people are deserving of reclaiming their relationship with their mind, body and food.