Binge eating at night is the act of eating extra food then one needs at night due to some factors mainly related to the mental health conditions. It's good to identify the symptoms to figure out the cause of binge eating at night to overcome it.
Table of Content:
Binge eating disorder is a disorder in which one overeats on a regular basis until it feels uncomfortably full. This includes eating a large portion of food in a short span often results in feeling guilty afterward.
Binge disorder is mostly found in people in their late teens and early 20's, however, anyone can get this disorder at any stage of life.
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder:
Binge eating disorder may include the following symptoms:
- Eating secretly.
- Eating food without being hungry.
- Eating quickly.
- Unpleasantly Overeating.
- Feeling embarrassed after binge eating.
Causes of Binge Eating:
The factors behind binge eating can be as follows:
- An obsessive personality or a perfectionist.
- Having a family history of this disorder, feeling low, or drug abuse.
- Have been lambasted for body shape or weight.
- Being sexually abused.
- History of dieting can be one of the causes especially when someone is also suffering from depression.
- Stress
- Thinking negatively about themselves and their skills.
- Around 50% of people having binge eating disorder are obese. 25%-50% of people who seek weight loss surgery are fall into the criteria of binge eating.
When eating food in large quantities at night rather in the day and even wake up at night to eat then this could be night eating syndrome. In this syndrome, people consume much of the daily calories in the late evening or early morning hours.
Symptoms of Night Eating Syndrome:
One can have night eating syndrome when having at least three symptoms from the list below:
- An urge to eat a large quantity of food between dinner and before sleeping.
- Have insomnia. If struggling to sleep at night, check the post, 'How to Get a Better Night Sleep.'
- Don't have enough appetite in the morning.
- Feeling low especially during evening hours.
- A sense of feeling that eating will help to get to slumber.
Both disorders are two completely different types of disorders, however, symptoms can be similar and can have alike effects on health.
- In binge eating disorder, genes may involve that control mood and appetite while in night eating syndrome, genes aid to sync hunger with night sleeping rhythms.
- In binge eating one eats a large quantity of food in a short time period while in night eating syndrome it is not necessary to eat large quantities in the short span but to eat more food (25% and above) during the evening hours than the day.
- In NES, people wake up at nights usually 3 to 4 times a week but in binge eating disorder, people eat secretly and feel embarrassed afterward.
- In Binge eating disorder, people eat unpleasantly even after belly starts hurting while in NES, people believe to sleep better after eating.
Binge eating elevates blood sugar levels in the body. High blood sugar levels can cause body aches and pain. It makes you feel thirsty or hungry. Also, people feel tired and drowsy when they have a high blood sugar level, and the long term of this condition results in diabetes.
It rushes calories and fat - causes weight gain and acidity. High body fat is also linked to high blood pressure and high cholesterol which may lead to damage to the most important part of our body, the heart.
After knowing what causes binge eating and how badly it affects health, let's dive in to know how to stop it at night or even during the day.
1- Identify the Cause - Why do I Binge?
Identifying the cause of binge eating is the first step to deal with it. It could be a result of eating fewer calories during the day. Restricted diet or not paying attention to proper eating breakfast and lunch could lead to eating diabolically at night.
Boredom could be a reason for binge eating at night. Apparently, some people start overeating when they feel bored and they are not sure how to make themselves engage in something so they start eating to pass their time. Overindulging in food could also be just a habit.
However, binge eating at night can be associated with binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome. In both disorders, people do overeating and have emotional issues such as depression, low mood, sadness, anger, and frustration. Depression and binge eating are strongly linked with each other. People having depression or have been depressed before can have these symptoms. Biological risk factors could also be possible for overeating at night.
So as to understand the cause of binge eating at night look into conditions above to resolve it first.
2- Identity What Triggers Binge Eating:
It is important to find what triggers binge eating behaviour. Make a note of the mood or events that lead to a ravenous eating pattern at night. Sometimes certain happenings in life set off binge eating and to solve this issue one should be aware of what initiates it.
Some foods can also trigger unnecessary eating during evening hours. These can include foods rich in calories, processed foods, and non-nutritional carbohydrates.
3- Make Eating Routine and Plan Meal Ahead:
Binge eating at night can be stopped by sticking to a routine. When there is no proper eating routine then it can contribute to overeating during late hours. Eat protein-rich food in the morning as it makes you feel full for longer. According to a study eating protein in the diet reduces food craving by 60% and nighttime eating by half.
Follow a sensible sleeping pattern. People having sleeping issues are highly linked to binge eating. If suffering from insomnia, it's better to follow steps that help in improving night sleep. Inadequate sleep gives obesity and other health conditions.
Plan meals ahead and go for healthy choices. One can add healthy snacks between meals to balance eating patterns throughout the day. Add fruits and vegetables in the diet as this routine lowers the temptation of binge eating and also good for health.
4- Deal with Stress:
Stress can severely affect mental health and can lead to big disasters. Be aware of worries and situations that are giving stress as it may cause binge eating. People usually eat to curb their emotions. When having stress and noticing binge eating pattern then try to overcome this situation by involving in other activities rather than eating.
5- Ask for Emotional Support:
6- Eat with Regular Intervals:
Eating food with regular intervals helps in stabling blood sugar levels. When eating 2 or 3 big meals per day then this causes a spike in blood sugar levels and then drops in it when there is a large gap between meals. Eating healthy snacks between the meals or splitting meals to 4-6 smaller meals can help in curbing the temptation of eating food at night.
When anyone starves for food then they make poor eating choices and for them, it's hard to control food impulses later. Those who eat with regular intervals are less likely to put on excessive weight.
7- Don't Buy Junk Foods:
Don't go for buying junk foods like crips, ice creams, biscuits, and donuts when really want to stop binge eating at night. Unhealthy snacks taste delicious but not good for health at all.
Sometimes, it's not a bad idea to give yourself a treat by eating those foods but when noticing that it's becoming a habit and you can't calm down or relax without eating them then it's time to curb these eating patterns and temptations.
The best solution for addressing this problem is to simply stop buying junk foods and go for other healthy options instead. Healthy snacks can include plain yogurt, cottage cheese, berries, etc.
8- Try to Distract when Tempting to Eat at Night:
Eating food is a way to distract from boredom so try to find activities that help in mind occupying. People start munching food when feeling low to feel better but they can engage themselves in other activities to distract their mind and avoid overeating. Distraction can be reading a good book, watching a nice movie, doing breathing exercises, note down the good things that happened during the day, taking a warm bath, etc.
Avoid any activities an hour before going to bed that makes you alert or excited. Choose activities sensibly that are mind occupying but not insomnia provoking.
9- Don't Starve During the Day:
Try not to starve when aiming to stop binge eating at night. Starving during the day won't assist you with eating less rather you may wind up eating more at night. It's recommended not to stay without eating over 5 hours on the off chance that you need to get more fit.
Eating ordinary little suppers causes you to feel full and attempt to eat a little part from the amount you eat so you'll progressively become accustomed to it. Your stomach gives a sign to the brain in 15-20 mins when it gets full so attempt to eat gradually to abstain from gorging.
10- Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is the mental and emotional process to live in the present without judgment. It's a psychological exercise to bring attention to the experience of the current situation. This is an act of maintaining awareness of feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings with acceptance.
As mindfulness helps anyone to listen to their feelings, it can prevent them from binge eating too. This happens by recognising when they feel no longer hungry and give them the ability to pay attention to how they are feeling at the moment.
11- Do Exercise:
Exercise is essential for a healthy immune system. It improves blood circulation, regulates mood, relieves depression and anxiety, aid in good night sleep, reduces obesity, fillips energy, etc. People having binge eating issues at night mostly have the above health conditions to deal with to stop stuffing themselves.
It's found that regular exercise has a significant impact on dealing with overeating patterns. Do exercise at least 3-4 days a week for 20-40 minutes to achieve a healthy body and a positive mindset to work on the treatment plan. One can choose any simple exercise to start with and it's advisable to ask a trainer about the type, duration, and intensity of exercise before following a fitness plan.
It's better not to eat after 7 p.m and never eat within 2 hours before going to bed as late-night meal keeps the body on high alert rather calming it down before bedtime. This attentiveness and overfilled tummy are dangerous for both physical and mental health. Late-night eating tends to store fat rather giving energy to the body. A 2-hour duration before going to bed is ample time for the digestive system to break down food before resting head on the pillow. This helps to keep acidity at bay.
Sometimes people are not sure that they have binge eating disorder or nighttime eating syndrome, or their overeating at night is just a nasty new habit also often it's hard to admit that they have overeating issues.
When anyone realises that they have binge eating disorder they should take an appointment with the doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will listen to all the health issues and eating patterns then check weight. After taking all the details if GP thinks that it's a binge eating disorder or another disorder then refer you to the eating disorder specialist.
Bottom Line:
A restricted diet during the day can be a reason for binge eating at night. It can be caused by a habit, or because anyone feels bored and want to engage them in a munching activity. The depressive mood is also linked with overeating at night. Some disorders like binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome can trigger gorging during evening hours.
To stop binge eating it's important to know the cause that triggers it. After knowing the root cause make an eating schedule and plan meals ahead. Ask for any emotional support if needed and do activities that help in lowering stress levels as depression is highly associated with binge eating. Avoid buying junk foods and try to distract food eating thoughts at night.
When concerned about overeating at late nights then make an appointment with the doctor. GP, if concerned, refers you to the eating disorder specialist.
Did I Miss Anything?
Now I'd like to hear from you:
Which strategies from today's post are you going to try first?
or maybe I didn't mention one of your favourite tips.
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
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