The 6 reasons you might feel sick in the morning – it’s NOT just a sign of pregnancy
IF you suffer sickness in the morning, it may cross your mind you could be pregnant.
Women are usually on the lookout for other symptoms if they start to feel nauseous upon waking, as it is one of the first signs you might be expecting.
Dr Janice Johnston, the chief medical officer and co-founder of healthcare provider Redirect Health, told Insider: “When we hear about morning sickness, most people’s first thought is pregnancy.
“This is because morning sickness is a very common side effect in pregnancy, specifically in the first trimester, affecting about seven in ten pregnant women.”
However, if the pregnancy tests are negative, it may be worth exploring other reasons for morning sickness.
Here are some potential causes.
Bad sleep
Ever wake up for an early morning flight and feel sick with hunger on the way to the airport?
Having a disrupted sleep cycle can affect our digestive systems, Dr Johnston said.
“This can cause you to have a feeling of uneasiness in your stomach when you wake up in the mornings,” she said.
Sleep quality can be affected by insomnia, sleep apnoea, jet lag or simply a change from your normal routine, such as a later night.
Low blood sugar
Blood sugars can drop when someone does not eat for a long period of time, therefore they can fall overnight.
Usually, the body prevents this from reaching a dangerous level, unless a person has diabetes.
But it can still make you feel a little queasy in the morning, before you eat and get sugars back into your bloodstream.
“Low blood sugar can come from a lack of eating well-balanced meals with fibre and complex carbs, or from skipping meals altogether,” Dr Johnston said.
“If you wake up with an upset stomach it may have been because you skipped dinner or simply did not eat enough the day before.”
Acid reflux
Acid reflux occurs when the acid in your stomach comes back up your oesophagus (the food pipe).
Its symptoms include heartburn, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, hiccups and feeling sick.
The NHS recommends that in order to prevent or ease acid reflux, you should raise the head end of your bed by 4in (10cm) to 8in (20cm) so that your head is higher than your waist.
This can stop stomach acid travelling up towards the throat while you’re in bed, and therefore prevent nasty symptoms such as sickness in the morning.
The health service also recommends eating three to four hours before bed, and avoiding food and drinks such as coffee, tomatoes, chocolate, fatty or spicy meals and alcohol.
Dehydration
If you’ve not drunk enough fluid in the evening, you may experience some dehydration in the morning.
Symptoms can include feeling lightheaded.
But dehydration is one also of the key reasons for that sickly feeling of a hangover.
Other signs in adults include thirst, dark or strong-smelling pee, tiredness and a dry mouth and lips.
Anxiety
If you wake up feeling anxious, there’s a chance this will come with feelings of sickness.
Dr Johnston said: “Our gut, or gastrointestinal system, is closely linked to our central nervous system and our brains.
“These two systems communicate back and forth with each other, so when one is affected, the other will notice.”
Anxiety feels like being ‘on edge’, restless and with a sense of dread, the NHS says.
It can make it difficult to eat, concentrate or think clearly.
Physically, symptoms include a fast heartbeat, muscle tension and shortness of breath.
Stress can trigger similar feelings.
Sickness bug
If you wake up feeling sick, it may simply be a symptom of a bug you weren’t aware you had.
Even just nasal congestion can cause nausea, because it puts pressure on the inner ear, Healthline says.
One of the key symptoms of an inner ear infection is dizziness or vertigo, which can make you feel sick.
If you morning sickness persists, you should speak to your GP.