Morning Sickness At Night
How To Cope With Morning Sickness At Night
How peculiar and frustrating it must be to be a new pregnant woman and rather than having feelings of nausea when you awake to start your day, you actually have morning sickness at night that is disrupting your sleep. Believe it or not, this is quite a common occurrence. Nausea and vomiting are pregnancy symptoms that typically affect the mother-to-be around the sixth week of her pregnancy. Consequently, this is also the same time that most women discover that they are pregnant.
While most morning sickness at night cases are considered mild and result in not much more than vomiting and feeling light-headed, other cases are quite severe and can cause weight loss, dehydration, hypokalemia and alkalosis. Most women complain that their morning sickness flares up when they get out of bed in the morning, individuals that suffer at night will often experience it from late evening and all though the night.
Although it does sound counter-intuitive, you really can have morning sickness at night. The term itself is more of a misnomer, referring to vomiting and nausea rather that the actual time of day. The feelings of this pregnancy symptom are traditionally triggered when your stomach is empty and it is quite distressing because it can often keep you awake all night.
Causes
Of course it would be ideal if doctors were able to pinpoint a direct cause of every woman's symptoms but unfortunately, it still remains a mystery. However, there are a few speculations involved that could be triggering factors.
- Estrogen – The increase of estrogen levels at the beginning of a pregnancy are thought to be behind morning sickness at night. It is also suggested that hormones are the cause of the gag reflux that often occurs when there is the presence of a food smell.
- Gastrointestinal Tract Sensitivity – Changes that occur in the beginning of your pregnancy can cause issues in your gastrointestinal tract, especially if you happen to be consuming spicy or rich foods. Also, women who have stomach bacterium will typically have symptoms with a longer period of time.
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin – Although it is not entirely confirmed, it is suggested that elevated HCG levels can cause sickness. The higher the levels, the higher the risk of nausea and vomiting occurring at night rather than in the morning.
- Other Causes – Morning sickness at night is also believed to be influenced by having twins or triplets, history of sickness with previous pregnancies, migraines and genetics.
Home Remedies
Of course, in a perfect scenario, you could just fast-forward through until your symptoms have passed, however, most expecting mothers know that their lives cannot be put on hold because they don't feel well and if they want to be able to function the next day, they need some quality sleep at night.
- Eat a small, light snack such as crackers, oatmeal or a half sandwich before you lay down to go to sleep. Some pregnant women enjoy a piece of fruit while others claim it aggravates their symptoms more.
- Crack the window to your bedroom to have a little fresh air while you sleep.
- Drink plenty of water, herbal tea and fresh fruit juice.
- Avoid spicy or sweet foods that can be irritating to your stomach.
- Chew on freshly sliced garlic. For a real treat in warmer climates you may choose to slice up the ginger and store it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer so it is handy whenever you feel the urge to get a piece.
- Take a few restful periods throughout the day where you are able to put your feet up.
- Avoid sudden and jerky movements.
- Take a walk everyday. Exercise is extremely effective in easing nauseating feelings. You may also want to consider doing yoga or at least some light stretching before you lay down to go to sleep.