Why Do I Binge Eat at Night?

Written By: Kristy Maskell, MSc, RD
Reviewed By: Aoife McMahon, RD

Why do I binge eat at night?

Do you tend to regularly eat large amounts of food at night? If so, you may find yourself wondering what is driving this behaviour. Read on to explore what binge eating is and what influences you to continue to have binge eating episodes at night.

What is binge eating?

While occasionally eating more than usual is normal, a binge eating disorder can disrupt your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a diagnosable mental illness that involves frequently eating large amounts of food in a short amount of time.1 Binge eating episodes may include eating food quicker than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, and experiencing feelings of guilt and shame after eating.

BED can have physical side effects such as tiredness, bloating and nausea to name a few. Mental side effects may include feelings of shame and guilt, feeling powerless during binge eating episodes, and social isolation. BED can also increase your risk for long-term physical side effects such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.2

Why do I binge eat at night?

  • Underfuelling during the day – this is one of the most common causes of binge eating in the evenings that our specialist eating disorder dietitians see in clinic. Trying to eat less earlier in the day can inadvertently lead to binges later in the evening which may be driven by hunger.
  • Emotional response – eating larger volumes of food in response to negative emotions is common.3 This is because most foods can boost dopamine levels in the brain and temporarily improve your mood.
  • No distractions or boredom – during the day we can be busy with work and socialising, but when we finally slow down, our attention shifts to food, which may sometimes trigger binge eating episodes.
  • Loneliness – traits linked with loneliness can contribute and fuel binge eating episodes.4
  • Habitual behaviour – eating more than intended in the evenings can become a nightly ritual. Your body and mind can get used to eating larger quantities of food at a given time.

This is not a complete list, and there could be additional factors that lead to regular intake of larger volumes of food, such as past traumatic experiences or challenges surrounding work and social life.

Could I be suffering from disordered eating or binge eating disorder?

The scale of emotional eating is vast, ranging from emotional eating through to disordered eating and eating disorders (like BED). Disordered eating refers to a poor relationship with food. It can encompass a wide variety of irregular eating behaviours. Those with disordered eating do not necessarily fit into any diagnostic criterion for an eating disorder (such as BED), which is the critical difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder. Both disordered eating and eating disorders, however, can cause physical and mental health concerns. They may also share similar symptoms, such as eating much more quickly than usual or eating large quantities of food until feeling uncomfortably full. Both may benefit from support from a specialist eating disorder dietitian.

How can a dietitian help me with bingeing?

A dietitian can help with recognising triggers, regulating meal patterns, and supporting you to eat balanced meals to prevent urges to binge. Our specialist eating disorder dietitians, can provide a safe space for you, empowering you to make sustainable changes. If you want to get an idea of what it is like to work with a dietitian to relieve disordered eating and binge eating episodes, you may like to read Ava’s success story.

Book your free discovery call today to take the first step to having a healthier relationship with food.

Disclaimer: This information is purely informational. You should always consult a qualified health professional, like your GP or a registered dietitian, if you are looking for personalised advice for binge eating.

References

  1. National Institute for Care Excellence. Eating disorders: recognition and treatment. [Internet]. 2017 [cited Oct 8] Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69/chapter/Recommendations
  2. Olguin P, Fuentes M, Gabler G, Guerdjikova AI, Keck PE, McElroy SL. Medical comorbidity of binge eating disorder. Eat Weight Disord. 2017 Mar;22:13-26. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27553016/
  3. Dingemans A, Danner U, Parks M. Emotion regulation in binge eating disorder: A review. Nutrients. 2017 Nov;9(11):1274. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29165348/
  4. Levine MP. Loneliness and eating disorders. J Psychol. 2011 Dec;146(1-2):243-257. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22303623/

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