Locations:
Search IconSearch

Do You Binge Eat at Night? Here’s Why Your Hormones Are to Blame

They cause junk food cravings at night

A woman pulling a piece of cake out of her refrigerator.

Ever sneak a late-night snack after a hefty dinner and then go to sleep? (We’re looking at you heaping bowl of ice cream after that generous slice of meatloaf, roasted carrots and mashed potatoes!) Why, oh why?

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

“It’s not a character flaw. It’s simple biology. In functional medicine, we look at the root causes of health problems ― like how powerful hormones trigger night-time food cravings,” explains functional medicine specialist Mark Hyman, MD.

To tame your cravings, it helps to understand the havoc four powerful appetite hormones can wreak:

  1. Insulin. Your body produces this to process sugar in your diet. “Eating too much sugar or flour makes insulin spike, then crash ― even after a large ‘healthy’ meal,” Dr. Hyman says.
  2. Leptin. This puts the brake on your appetite, telling your brain, “Oh, I’m full. I don’t need any more food.” Leptin won’t work as well when you eat a lot of sugar, processed foods and flour.
  3. Ghrelin. This “hunger hormone,” produced in your stomach, helps regulate your appetite. It says, “I should eat ― I’m hungry!” and may spike when you’re sleep deprived, Dr. Hyman says.
  4. Peptide YY. This hormone, made in your intestines, says, “Hey, I’m full! I’ve had enough to eat. I don’t need to eat any more.” Peptide YY levels may drop when you don’t get sleep.

Feeling stressed? This drives up cortisol (the stress hormone), adding to your hunger, raising blood sugar and insulin, and starting a vicious cycle.

Advertisement

How to balance your hormones and tame your raging appetite

If you binge time and time again, your body can’t burn those extra calories, Dr. Hyman says. So it stores them as fat. To break the cycle, he recommends:

Eat regular meals. (Don’t skip breakfast.)

Always include a protein. (Choose chicken, fish, grass-fed meat) and high-quality fat (nut, seeds, avocados, coconut, olive oil).

Avoid all sugary drinks. That includes both hot and cold ones, from sodas and sweet tea to fancy calorie-laden coffees.

Avoid gluten or dairy if you can’t tolerate them.

De-stress during the day. (Breathe, do yoga, exercise).

Make sleep a priority. There’s no badge of honor for sleep deprivation. You’ll instead provoke imbalances in ghrelin and peptide YY.

“Taming your night binges can help you avoid weight gain and diabetes, not to mention feel a lot better about yourself,” Dr. Hyman says.

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Teen sitting with hunger pains on oversized stomach, with heart
April 21, 2025/Mental Health
Eating Disorders in Teens: Myths, Facts and What To Do

Look for signs like withdrawing from social eating and not gaining weight — and get treatment early if possible

Person looking at their waist size in the mirror
April 18, 2025/Mental Health
Disordered Eating vs. Eating Disorders: They’re Not the Same

Eating disorders are diagnosable mental health conditions, while disordered eating is unhealthy eating behavior that doesn’t meet the criteria for a diagnosis

Person at restaurant with friend, watching others eat food, as they only drink water
April 2, 2025/Mental Health
What Is Disordered Eating? And Why It Happens

This is an eating pattern that doesn’t meet the criteria for an eating disorder but can still be harmful

Person eating tiny amount of bland food, daydreaming about larger portion of better food, amidst silhouette of crowd eating
April 19, 2024/Mental Health
The Intersection of Obesity and Eating Disorders

Having overweight and disordered eating is a high-risk combination that often gets dismissed or overlooked

Oversized smartphone with social media comments, with two people feeling dejected
March 29, 2024/Mental Health
What Is Thinspo and Why Is It Dangerous?

While social media content doesn’t create eating disorders, it can easily exacerbate them

Person taking break on exercise bike to drink water, while at the gym.
December 27, 2022/Nutrition
Tips to Reset After a Food Binge

Get moving, avoid the scale and be kind to yourself — plus, learn your triggers

Person looking at table of food.
September 19, 2022/Nutrition
Orthorexia: When a Commitment To Eating Healthy Goes Too Far

Too-strict ‘food rules’ can have negative consequences

Child with rumination.
June 29, 2020/Mental Health
Rumination: How This Rare Eating Disorder Can Affect Kids

It may be mistaken for digestive problems

Trending Topics

Person in bed sleeping on their side, covers off
Breathing Problems? Try These Sleep Positions

If you’re feeling short of breath, sleep can be tough — propping yourself up or sleeping on your side may help

A couple looking at skyline, with one person slightly behind the other, head bent down
What Is Anxious Attachment Style — and Do You Have It?

If you fear the unknown or find yourself needing reassurance often, you may identify with this attachment style

Glasses and bottle of yellow-colored prebiotic soda, with mint, lemon and ginger garnish
Are Prebiotic Sodas Good for You?

If you’re looking to boost your gut health, it’s better to get fiber from whole foods

Ad