How Can I Stop Binging at Night? 5 Simple Science-Backed Solutions to Curb Late-Night Cravings

Do you ever catch yourself mindlessly snacking on the couch after dinner? 

The TV is on, and you keep making trips to the pantry or fridge, grabbing one thing after another, yet nothing truly satisfies your cravings.

If that sounds like you, then you're in the right place to learn “how can I stop binging at night.”

In this article, I’ll break down why those late-night cravings hit and, more importantly, how to stop them.

How Can I Stop Binging at Night whilst dieting

Firstly we need to talk about dieting, because dieting is shown to be a cause of binge eating.

Now I know that if you are dieting, then you probably also want to be losing weight. Because I know that if you are asking how can I stop binging at night, you probably also want to know how to lose weight, right? And don’t worry, you absolutely can lose weight without dieting.

But put simply, binge eating is a natural response of your brain to dieting and restrictions. Research supports this, showing that people who diet are up to 18 times more likely to binge!

Whilst I go into much more depth about how to stop binge eating in this article, basically there are three main factors that cause binge eating;

1. Our brain

2. Restrictions

3. Connection

   
   

Our Evolved Brain and How Can I Stop Binging at Night?

We are lucky to have incredible brains that have evolved over millions of years. Part of our amazing brain is an area often referred to as the "reptilian" brain. 

This reptilian brain exists in our subconscious, and amongst other important tasks, there is plenty of research showing how it is responsible for keeping us alive.

Part of keeping us alive over the millions of years that it has evolved is to survive times of famine.

When it perceives a time of famine, it does a couple of very important things, including slowing our metabolism and making us more hungry.

Most importantly, studies show that our survival animal brain isn’t able to distinguish between periods of famine and diets, because all it experiences is a lack of food.

What this means is that the more you diet and restrict food, the more your brain thinks you're in a famine, increasing your hunger levels. This survival mechanism is great for times of famine, but works against you when you're just trying to lose weight.

As you diet and restrict more and more, you become more and more hungry. This can often lead to binge eating, particularly after years of dieting and restricting.

Again, there is a way to lose weight without dieting (or exercise), but it’s critical to understand that dieting is actually a cause of binge eating.

Now beyond the effects on our reptilian brain, let's look at the practical effect of restricting foods.

How does restricting foods cause night binge eating?

Research shows that dieting and food restrictions often have an unintended consequence—they make “forbidden” treats even more tempting. It’s the classic case of wanting what you can’t have! Think of it this way: if I tell you not to picture an elephant, what pops into your head? Yep, exactly —probably the same one stomping around my brain as I write this! 🐘🐘🐘

Instead of labelling foods as “naughty” and cutting them out completely, the key is to allow all foods in moderation. This helps take away their overwhelming allure and stop you from becoming obsessed with certain foods.

I know, I know—it totally sounds like the opposite of what all the “experts” say, right? But studies show that when you cut out your favourite foods completely, you might actually end up gaining weight, not losing it! Crazy, right?

The thing is, depriving yourself often leads to cravings that are harder to ignore, and when you finally give in, you might overindulge. So, instead of banning the foods you love, really enjoy them in moderation and you can still lose weight!

Of course, figuring out how to do this effectively can be tricky—but don’t worry, it’s something I cover more in my article showing you how to lose weight without dieting.

Humans are built for pleasure

Just to reinforce this point about including all foods, particularly “naughty” treats, it's important to remember that we as humans are wired for pleasure.

Not that we really need a study to tell us this, but studies do show that humans are wired for pleasure, and yes, that includes the joy of eating delicious food! We all know how good it feels to indulge in something tasty. So instead of trying to fight cravings, it’s better to lean into them and really savour the flavours of delicious foods.

Just to really reinforce this point, think of the French, who indulge in some of the richest, sweetest, heaviest and generally most indulgent foods. They also happen to have some of the lowest rates of obesity for a developed nation. The French know how to savour their food. So be like the French!

But I understand that you might still be concerned about losing control with certain foods. So let's talk about binge eating and food addiction.

Binge eating vs addiction

Binge eating is essentially an addiction at its core. Like any addiction, it’s something many people struggle to control, even though it has some serious consequences for our bodies—whether it's the immediate discomfort or the long-term effects that catch up with us later.

Now, in the past, people thought addictions were all about one “addictive” substance. 

This thinking is largely based on a classic experiment where rats were isolated in a cage with free access to drugs. Unsurprisingly and sadly, many of these rats overdosed to the point of death. 

However, a subsequent experiment asked if things would change if the rats were taken out of isolation. So, they built a Rat Park—a place with cool rat pals, lots of space to roam, and toys. Turns out, when the rats had friends and a good time, they mostly drank water and barely touched the drugs!

So, what does this teach us? Well, it’s not just about the substance. Connection is also such an important factor. This makes sense, particularly when considering other activities that can become addictive for some people. For example, gambling, gaming and online shopping can be addictive for some people. But obviously there is no single substance that is making people addicted to these activities. They are getting a dopamine hit, yes, but not from any single substance.

How connection helps overcome addiction (and binge eating)

Studies have shown that as connection increases, such as through community gardening, rates of addiction decrease. So, the more community and fun you bring into your life, the easier it becomes to break free from that binge eating cycle.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you need to become a green thumb or join a sports team. But if you want the best chance of stopping binge eating, and to feel happier and more connected generally, then it will be helpful to create regular time for something that you enjoy with friends, new or old. It might be a weekly walk with some friends or joining a local yoga class or community group. Whatever you decide is fine, just do something for you to feel more connected and it will help to apply the below steps to reduce the urges to binge eat.

5 actionable steps to stop binge eating;

1. Choose the most delicious option - whatever you actually want

Remember that restricting foods just makes them more appealing. So choose the food that you actually want! 

Don’t forget that studies show that when you try to cut out certain foods, it often actually results in weight GAIN! 

Yes, you read that right. So choose the tasty option and enjoy it using the next steps!

2. Serve your treat on a plate

Serving your snacks and treats on a plate might sound simple, but it’s an absolute game changer! When you put your snack on a plate, it’s so much easier to slow down and actually taste what you’re eating. It makes you appreciate what you have more, particularly when you also apply the steps below.

Plus putting your treats on a plate or bowl also makes you think about whether you want more. It’s a lot harder to hit “pause” when you’re mindlessly munching straight from the bag of chips— I know because I've been there way too many times myself!

3. Sit at the table without distractions

Studies show that people eat way less when they remove distractions and actually focus on their food. 

So put your phone down, turn off the TV, and give your food the attention it deserves. It’s the main event, after all.

4. Savour the flavour

Research also shows that eating slowly also really helps with preventing binges and losing weight.

Have you ever still felt hungry whilst eating, only to be completely stuffed half an hour later? Basically when you slow down, your body gets the chance to send those "I'm full!" signals before you go overboard. 

So, how do you do it? Try these simple tricks;

1. Put your fork down between bites;

2. Chew your food like you’re savouring every bite; and; 

3. Really enjoy the flavours of your food. 

What’s most important is just to play and give this a go!

5. Regularly catch up with friends or join a community group

Remember how much easier it was for the rats to not get addicted when they were hanging out with all of their rat pals?

Well it's no different for us humans. We need connection in our lives to lessen urges to binge eat.

Feeling part of something will help with those cravings, particularly when you are also applying the previous steps.

Next steps

Learning the steps to stop binge eating is awesome and it’s such a relief never having to stress about binges again. BUT, what’s even more awesome is knowing not just how to stop binge eating, but also lose weight effortlessly without any restrictions or dieting.

The most important thing to remember with this is to simply play and keep an open mind. Worst case scenario you might find that you enjoy food more by slowing down and are happier because you are more connected to your friends and community.

But if you want to give yourself the best chance of success, you need a personalised plan, because we all have our own unique challenges. So if you are ready to finally break free from binge eating forever and start losing weight without dieting, then book your free initial call with me now. In it I will also share details of my lose weight without dieting guarantee.

—-------- About the author: James Hay

Hi, I’m James, an intuitive eating weight loss coach. I teach people how to lose weight without any dieting or restrictions.

My clients lose weight whilst eating all of their favourite foods.

I’m qualified in Public Health and also a certified nutritionist and health coach. I have personally applied what I teach to lose over 25kg and can help you achieve similar results without dieting. Let’s talk