How To Sleep When Nauseous
How To Sleep When Nauseous? For the past few weeks I’ve been experiencing nausea that seems to come out of nowhere and lasts for hours at a time. It’s a little bit better when I’m eating, but even then it feels as if my stomach is on fire all night long. It never leaves me feeling good, just sick. The worst part is that sometimes I wake up feeling really nauseated in the middle of the night.
I know this sounds pretty awful, but there are actually some things you can do to make this kind of thing more manageable. One thing I learned during this period was how important it is to get enough rest. In other words, getting enough sleep helps a lot. And one way to ensure you get enough sleep is by making sure you sleep well — which means taking care to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Here are a couple of tips that have worked for me, both during times when I wasn’t feeling very ill and also in those instances where I woke up feeling nauseated in the middle of the night.
First off, prop your head up so you’re not lying flat in bed. If it’s comfortable for you, try to sleep with your head about 12 inches above your feet. This can help keep acid or food from moving up into your esophagus. You may need to experiment here a bit to see what works best for you in terms of sleeping position. Just because something doesn’t feel right, don’t give up!
There are probably ways to lay down that will work better than others.
Another tip is to drink a small amount of a slightly sweet liquid, like fruit juice, but avoid citrus. Citrus juices tend to stimulate gastric acids while sugars tend to calm them down. So if you find yourself waking up feeling nauseated, try drinking water with lemon or lime added to it (not directly!).
If you wake up feeling particularly bad, try to stay away from liquids until around noon. Your body tends to produce more gastric acid during late afternoon and evening hours. Also avoid alcohol consumption within four hours before going to bed. Alcohol stimulates gastric secretion and can worsen symptoms.
Finally, eat lightly during these episodes. Avoid foods that contain fat and protein. These types of foods can exacerbate nausea by causing excess pressure in the upper portion of your digestive tract. Foods high in fiber, such as whole grain breads, rice and pasta also tend to aggravate symptoms. Instead choose foods that are low in fat, such as salads and vegetable side dishes.
These tips should be sufficient for most people who experience occasional bouts of nausea. However, if you suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting, you might want to take a look at our article How Can I Lower High Blood Pressure Naturally?
Sometimes, however, nausea comes along with other conditions. For example, if you suffer from severe morning sickness, which occurs in about 15 percent of women who are pregnant, you’ll probably want to check with your doctor. Morning sickness in pregnancy has many causes including hormonal changes, dehydration and nutritional deficiencies. Other common ailments associated with nausea include irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, gallstones, kidney disease, liver problems, infections, thyroid disorders, diabetes and allergies.
Since nausea is often accompanied by pain, bloating and lightheadedness, you should consult a physician if your condition persists longer than two weeks. Your physician may prescribe medications to relieve discomfort and/or treat underlying medical issues. Often, simple remedies such as ginger capsules, antacids and over-the-counter antiemetics are effective.
Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist for suggestions in managing nausea.
To learn more about treating various health concerns, click through to the next page.
Nausea treatment usually consists of avoiding certain triggers, such as caffeinated beverages, chocolate, onions, garlic, spicy foods and fatty foods. Some sufferers find relief from motion sickness tablets. If you have frequent headaches, try using an ice pack instead of aspirin to ease tension and headache pain. For persistent cases, you may consider trying acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points on the skin that relay messages throughout the nervous system. While scientists aren’t exactly sure why acupuncture relieves nausea, they believe it may involve the release of endorphins and dopamine.
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