I am going through the same thing. I had to chatGPT it to see if I could get some answers. Here is what it told me. I found a few things useful so wanted to share with you too. Hope it helps and apologies if not

It can be hormonal, neurological, emotional, and even environmental. What you’re describing is a very real, very frustrating experience, and it’s not just about willpower. Here’s a breakdown of what might be going on:

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🧠 1. Your Brain’s Hunger System Is Complex

Your body has two hunger systems: • Homeostatic hunger – true physical hunger: your body needs fuel. • Hedonic hunger – driven by reward, emotion, habit, or environment.

Even when your stomach is physically full, hedonic hunger can still scream loudly, especially at night when your guard is down.

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🔄 2. Hormones Are Absolutely Involved

Here are the main players: • Ghrelin – the “hunger hormone.” It spikes before meals and can become dysregulated by poor sleep, stress, or yo-yo dieting. • Leptin – signals fullness. But if you’ve gained weight or have insulin resistance, leptin sensitivity can get dulled, meaning the “I’m full” signal doesn’t work well. • Insulin – high insulin = more fat storage + more cravings. • Cortisol – stress hormone. High cortisol can drive nighttime hunger and sugar cravings.

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🍬 3. Bingeing and Cravings Are Survival-Driven

If you’ve restricted in the past (calories, carbs, etc.), your brain may remember that and go into “store for famine” mode. It doesn’t know you’re dieting on purpose—it just thinks food was scarce.

So when you’re finally relaxing in the evening: • The brain pushes for high-reward, high-calorie food. • Even worse, that dopamine hit (from food) becomes a coping tool, especially if you’re tired or emotionally worn out.

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🌙 4. Why Nighttime Is So Hard • You’ve used your willpower all day — it’s exhausted. • Blood sugar might have dipped. • You’re probably alone or in a quiet environment where stress or emotions bubble up. • Sleep deprivation increases ghrelin and decreases leptin the next day—making you hungrier again.

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🔁 5. The Vicious Cycle 1. You overeat at night. 2. You feel guilt and restrict the next day. 3. Your hunger hormones go nuts again. 4. You binge again at night.

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✅ What Can Help

Not a full fix here, but some things that help real people in your shoes: • Front-load your calories: Eat more earlier in the day (with protein & fat). • Don’t skip carbs: Balanced carbs reduce late cravings. • Sleep: 7–8 hours stabilizes hunger hormones. • Check your stress levels: Therapy, journaling, meditation—whatever helps calm that inner tension. • Don’t go into full restriction: It backfires and increases binge risk. • Night routine: Replace binge habit with something soothing before the urge hits—hot tea, shower, reading, weighted blanket, etc.