there's a couple things I can suggest that have helped me with that problem in the past.
the first thing you should do is journal what you are eating, when, and what is going on with you during that time when you have these nighttime snacks. Look for patterns like: I eat when I watch my favorite shows, I eat when I feel bored, I eat when I feel stressed about my day.
I used to watch a lot more TV than I do now and I would eat a lot when sitting in front of the TV. There are a lot of strategies to curbing this. My mother won't allow herself to eat in front of the TV. So if she is hungry, she makes a plate and sits at the table to eat it. She's a lot less likely to grab one cookie if it means she has to put everything down, and make a "meal" out of it. I try to keep my hands busy. Needlepoint/cross-stitch was helpful to me while watching TV because I literally CAN'T eat while doing it. I have to keep my hands really clean while handling those kinds of things. If you have access to an exercise bike/treadmill/etc, those would probably do well while you are watching TV as well.
If its boredom, which I found was hitting me a lot in the summer, I found something to do instead. Reading was one. I found I snack less when I am really into a novel. I can go a couple hours without realizing it. I used this for weekend days when I was tempted. I also found doing housework helped though that was much less interesting :P
Emotional eating is something I have a lot of problem with. I'm still struggling with it. When I feel down or really bored, it feels like there is a pit inside of my stomach. I "feel" hungry but I'm learning to recognize when this is "real" hunger and when I'm trying to fill a void that can't be filled. Unfortunately, I've learned to realize this too late. After I've eaten one snack and I go to find another, I think to myself "now, wait, that didnt satisfy you..it doesnt even feel like it helped.." and try to stop myself. I'm starting to write down or type more about what I feel when these "cravings" happen and hopefully will come to a conclusion soon on how to manage this better.
Another thing you can do is plan nightly snacks. I always plan some snacks into my evening. A bowl of cereal, some popcorn, something reasonable that I will WANT by the end of the day. I know better than to think I'm gonna reach for some carrots. :P
I've also read that you have to kind of "retrain" your body as to when it wants to eat. Typically, people who eat a lot at night don't eat much for breakfast because they arent hungry. Well, the reason they arent hungry is that they ate so much the night before. So if you stop eating so heavily at night, it helps you to be hungry in the morning. You might consider a stopping point for snacking. Like, no snacks after 9pm. I used to do 2-3 hours before bed, no snacks, nothing but water.
Basically you have to do what works for you. Try different things. I have a bad habit of using food as a stress relief or a reward. If you do the same, try to break that cycle. Find something else you can do when you feel the world getting you down - take a hot shower or bath, paint your nails, pray, meditate, exercise a little, listen to music, sing, dance, whatever you like. Try to find the things you do that make you calm and happy and do those instead of eat.
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How Do You Curb Nighttime Binges?
