Binge eating can feel like an uncontrollable force—especially when it strikes late at night, just when you’re trying to wind down and relax. The frustration, guilt, and shame that follow only make it harder to break the cycle. If you’ve found yourself searching for help, wondering, “Why can’t I stop binge eating?”, you’re not alone.
Binge eating is more than just a lack of willpower. It’s deeply rooted in biological, emotional, and psychological factors that many people face. Whether it happens during the day or more often at night, this behaviour can have significant impacts on your health, happiness, and relationship with food.
In this article, we’ll explore why binge eating happens, why it often occurs at night, and provide practical, sustainable solutions to help you regain control.
The Science Behind Binge Eating: Why Can’t I Stop?
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterised by regularly eating large quantities of food in a short amount of time, often to the point of discomfort. Unlike other eating disorders, binge eating doesn’t involve compensatory behaviours like purging or excessive exercise, making it a serious health concern in its own right.
At its core, binge eating is a response to a combination of biological, psychological, and emotional triggers. While many people believe it’s just about self-control, the truth is far more complex.
The Role of Hormones in Binge Eating
When you binge eat, it often feels like your body is running on autopilot—desperately seeking comfort through food. But why does this happen?
The answer lies in a series of hormonal and neurochemical responses that drive the behaviour:
- Leptin and Ghrelin: These two hormones play a major role in regulating hunger and fullness. Leptin signals when you’re full, while ghrelin signals hunger. When your body’s balance of these hormones is off, you can feel hungry even when you don’t need food.
- Cortisol: Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol levels spike during times of high stress or anxiety. Elevated cortisol levels can trigger cravings for sugary, high-fat foods—exactly the kinds of foods typically consumed during a binge.
- Dopamine: Eating pleasurable foods (especially those high in sugar and fat) releases dopamine, a “feel-good” chemical in the brain. This reward response reinforces binge eating behaviour, making you more likely to seek out those foods in the future.
The HPA and GPA Axes: How Stress Impacts Binge Eating
Chronic stress plays a massive role in the development of binge eating behaviours. When your body is constantly stressed, it activates the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) and GPA axis (gut-pituitary-adrenal axis). These systems regulate your stress response, digestion, and energy levels.
When stress becomes overwhelming, the HPA and GPA axes send a cascade of signals throughout the body. This can lead to:
- Elevated cortisol levels, increasing your appetite and driving cravings for high-calorie foods.
- Reduced serotonin levels, which can trigger emotional eating as you seek out comforting foods to boost your mood.
- Disrupted gut health, which can worsen your body’s ability to regulate hunger and satiety cues, leading to more frequent binge episodes.
Stress is one of the primary drivers of binge eating, and the effects of these axes highlight the intricate relationship between your mental and physical health.
I Can’t Stop Binge Eating at Night: Why It’s Worse After Dark
Many people find that binge eating occurs more frequently at night. After a long, stressful day, the urge to overeat can feel overwhelming. But why does binge eating seem worse at night?
Emotional Exhaustion and Decision Fatigue
After a full day of making decisions—at work, with family, about meals—your mental reserves are depleted. Decision fatigue sets in, making it much harder to resist the temptation to binge.
Nighttime binge eating often happens because you’re physically tired, mentally exhausted, and emotionally drained. All of these factors weaken your ability to make mindful choices about food.
The Circadian Rhythm and Late-Night Cravings
Your body’s circadian rhythm—the internal clock that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and metabolism—can also play a role in nighttime binge eating. Late at night, your body naturally slows down its processes, including digestion. But if you haven’t eaten enough during the day or your body is stressed, your circadian rhythm may be disrupted, leading to late-night cravings for high-calorie, easy-to-digest foods.
Restriction Leads to Overeating
For many people, nighttime binges are the result of restricting food during the day. If you’ve skipped meals, eaten too little, or tried to suppress your hunger, your body may respond by craving more food later in the day—leading to a binge.
Common Mistakes People Make When Trying to Stop Binge Eating
It’s easy to fall into certain traps when trying to stop binge eating. While these strategies seem logical, they often backfire and reinforce the cycle of overeating. Here are some of the most common mistakes:
1. Extreme Dieting or Food Restriction
One of the most common mistakes people make is attempting to compensate for binge eating by drastically restricting food intake. This might look like skipping meals, cutting out entire food groups, or adhering to a strict, low-calorie diet.
While this may seem like a way to regain control, extreme dieting often leads to more binge eating in the long run. When you deprive yourself of necessary calories and nutrients, your body’s natural hunger signals become dysregulated, and cravings intensify.
2. Ignoring Underlying Emotional Triggers
Another mistake is focusing solely on the behaviour of binge eating without addressing the emotional or psychological factors that drive it. Binge eating often stems from emotions like stress, anxiety, loneliness, or boredom.
Trying to “willpower” your way out of binge eating without addressing these emotions is unlikely to lead to long-term success. It’s important to explore the root causes of your behaviour.
3. Self-Blame and Negative Self-Talk
Many people fall into the trap of self-blame and negative self-talk after a binge episode. This can include thoughts like “I’m weak” or “I’ll never have control over my eating.” These thoughts often lead to feelings of guilt and shame, which in turn fuel further binge eating.
Recognising that binge eating is a complex behaviour with many contributing factors—rather than a personal failing—is an important step toward recovery.
Practical Solutions: How to Stop Binge Eating for Good
While stopping binge eating may seem impossible, it’s entirely achievable with the right strategies. By addressing both the physical and emotional triggers of binge eating, you can regain control and develop a healthier relationship with food.
1. Create a Balanced Eating Routine
One of the most effective ways to stop binge eating is to establish a consistent eating routine. This means eating balanced, nutrient-dense meals throughout the day to prevent extreme hunger and cravings.
Focus on including a mix of:
- Protein: Helps keep you full and satisfied for longer.
- Healthy fats: Supports hormone regulation and mood.
- Fibre-rich carbs: Slows digestion and keeps blood sugar levels stable.
By eating regular, balanced meals, you reduce the likelihood of experiencing intense hunger that leads to a binge.
2. Manage Stress and Emotions
Since stress and emotional triggers are major drivers of binge eating, it’s important to develop healthy coping mechanisms. Instead of turning to food for comfort, try these alternatives:
- Meditation and mindfulness practices: Help reduce stress and improve emotional regulation.
- Journaling: Can help you process emotions and identify patterns in your behaviour.
- Breathing exercises: Calm your nervous system and bring awareness to your emotional state before a binge occurs.
3. Seek Professional Help
If binge eating feels out of control, seeking support from a coach, therapist, or nutritionist can make a huge difference. Professional guidance can help you understand the underlying causes of binge eating and develop tailored strategies for overcoming it.
Naomi’s Story: A Case Study in Overcoming Binge Eating
Naomi, a 55-year-old client, came to me struggling with late-night binge eating. She was frustrated, feeling stuck in a cycle of restriction and overeating, particularly at night.
We started by creating a more balanced eating routine during the day, ensuring she wasn’t overly hungry at night. Then, we worked on stress-management techniques like journaling and mindfulness to address her emotional triggers.
Over time, Naomi began to feel more in control of her eating. She no longer felt the intense drive to binge at night and learned how to manage her emotions in healthier ways. Today, she enjoys a balanced relationship with food and no longer struggles with binge eating.
Why Meal Plans Alone Won’t Stop Binge Eating
Many people turn to meal plans as a way to control binge eating, but these often fail in the real world. Life is unpredictable, and rigid meal plans can fall apart when social events or unexpected challenges arise. This often leads to feelings of failure, shame, and even more binge eating.
The solution? Intuitive eating and a habit-based approach. Instead of relying on a meal plan, focus on developing habits that help you make mindful choices about food, no matter the situation.
The Deep Health Approach: Addressing the Root Causes of Binge Eating
Binge eating isn’t just about food. It’s about stress, emotions, and how you care for yourself on a deeper level. A deep health approach focuses on addressing the multiple factors that influence your behaviour—from your mental and emotional health to your physical well-being.
This holistic approach is crucial for long-term success because it helps you build resilience, reduce stress, and develop a healthier relationship with food.
Final Thoughts: Breaking Free from the Cycle
If you’re struggling with binge eating and can’t seem to stop, remember this: It’s not about willpower. There are real, biological, emotional, and psychological reasons driving your behaviour. By understanding these triggers and implementing the right strategies, you can regain control of your eating and break free from the cycle of binge eating.
Want to dive deeper into understanding your relationship with food? Apply for two weeks of free coaching and start building healthier habits today.