5 Reasons Why You Emotionally Eat at Night (And what to do about it)

We recently asked our followers what time of day they feel is the worst for their emotional eating. And an overwhelming number of you said night time. Know that you are not alone! It is incredibly common to have the evenings be a time where emotional or binge eating ramps up. And there are very good reasons why you overeat late at night, and none of them are because you’re “crazy” or “lack willpower.” Here are 5 common reasons emotional eating comes up at night and what you can do to address each one.

You ate how you “should” during the day. Restricting what and how much you eat throughout the day will ultimately lead to binge eating (even if you are trying to “reset” from your last binge!). Not only is your body asking for more food, it is asking for food that is pleasurable. At the end of the day, you’re left feeling hungry and unfulfilled.

• Solution: No matter what you ate the night before, start the next day off with a clean slate: have foods you enjoy all day or earlier in the day and see how your evenings change. Upping the satisfaction factor with your foods can mean you’re thinking a lot less about food once nighttime rolls around.

You’re done with making decisions. All day long we make big and little decisions: what to wear, what and when to eat, how to get to work, coordinating with friends… The list goes on! And these are just daily decisions, think of the forward planning that occupies your brain too. By the end of the day you experience decision fatigue and want to just turn off your brain for a bit by distracting it with food.

• Solution: Consider what about your evening you can make easier for you and then do it. This might look like meal prepping on the weekend to make dinner a no brainer or stock up on frozen meals for a quick solution you don’t have to use brain power on. Also, who can you offload some decisions to? Sometimes we just make the decisions because it feels easier (and faster) than asking someone else to help out. Learning to lean on others can be huge in supporting yourself!

You’re in need of comfort. The day pulls in you all different directions from the moment your alarm goes off. From getting the kids out the door to making it to your work meetings, you feel like you never get a moment to yourself. By the time you’re home for the night you just want to curl up in a ball.

• Solution: Get curious about what other non-food things give you comfort—and then do them! Try: a long, hot shower, buying super soft pyjamas, watching a new show (or returning to an old favourite), putting your phone on Do Not Disturb, doing some deep breathing, a colouring book, playing soothing music, taking your dog for a walk… the options are endless. You just have to find out what works for you.

You want a reward. Modern life is incredibly hectic! Not only do we juggle obligations with family and friends, throw in a 24-hour news cycle, keeping up with social media, and constant phone notifications and it is enough to make us feel stretched to our max. In the face of all this chaos you feel you can’t control you might be viewing food at the end of the day as a reward for making it through another stressful day.

• Solution: Similar to the one above, try finding new ways to give yourself that sense of reward. This can be bigger, like chipping away at goals like running a race or finishing a book. Or smaller goals, like spending 10 minutes stretching or buying yourself some flowers. The key here is to not make these things feel like another thing on your to do list.

You’re alone for the first time. This can be a double-edged sword: you might feel like it’s your first moment of peace once the kids are in bed or you’re worried about being stuck with your thoughts and feelings.

• Solution: Because this might be one of two things, we’re got two options for you to consider. If you’re feeling peace for the first time all day, stop and consider what you want to do with that time instead of what you want to eat. If, on the other hand, you’re scared to be with your own thoughts and emotions, pull out your journal and put all of those feelings on the page. We promise: once you name the emotions, you’ll be able to think more clearly and even move through them quicker.

And if you do end up snacking in the evenings, that’s ok! There is nothing wrong with curling up with a soft blanket, a snack, and your latest book or show. It is normal to want to sooth yourself with food after a long day. But if you find yourself feeling out of control, beating yourself up, or hiding your eating, it might be time to try some of the strategies above.

💛 Your peace awaits.