Waking Up Nauseous? Here's What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You

Establishing a morning routine is a great way to set up your day for success. But waking up nauseous each morning has the potential to derail your plan for healthy habits.

If you feel sick when you wake up, your nighttime eating habits, stress levels or medications may be to blame for your early morning nausea.

Read on to learn what causes nausea in the morning and how to fix your symptoms.

The foods you eat before bed can play a big role in how your body feels the following morning, says gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD. Eating a heavy meal late in the evening can cause digestive unrest, leading to nausea in the a.m.

This is especially true if you struggle with food allergies or intolerances, like lactose intolerance, Dr. Sonpal says. Even if your sensitivities don't necessarily cause nausea during the day, your stomach may not be able to process your meal while you're sleeping, wreaking havoc the next morning.

Give your body a break from digestion while you sleep. Try to eat your last meal about three hours before bedtime, per the Mayo Clinic. And you might try your best to avoid any hard-to-digest foods in the evening, too, so your body doesn't need to break them down overnight. Fried or high-fat foods, dairy products and spicy foods are common culprits of indigestion.

"If a person finds themself nauseous in the mornings, they should stick to light and plain meals for dinner and snacks prior to going to bed," Dr. Sonpal says.

Though it may seem obvious, always check the expiration date of your foods, Dr. Sonpal suggests. Eating expired foods could be one reason you're feeling nauseous but not throwing up.

On the other hand, hunger can also be a reason you're waking up nauseous, Dr. Sonpal says. Your blood sugar drops when you don't eat any food over extended periods of time. Low blood sugar can cause you to feel dizzy when you wake up, faint or nauseated.

If you wake up feeling shaky, extremely hungry or sweaty, you may be experiencing mild low blood sugar, according to the University of Michigan Medicine.

Blood sugar low enough to cause symptoms is rare in people who don't have diabetes. If you're experiencing more severe symptoms like muscle twitching or confusion, talk to a doctor.

If you already have a diabetes diagnosis, you could be experiencing ketoacidosis, which causes your body to produce excess blood acids called ketones, Dr. Sonpal says. When your body floods with ketones, it can also lead to nausea. Your doctor can help you determine the best way to handle these symptoms.

You'll still want to avoid eating too soon before bedtime, but pick your foods wisely and eat slowly to help your body feel fuller, Dr. Sonpal says.

Aim to get a good balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) to help you feel full, and eat plenty of vegetables. Veggies are rich in fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels.

Also, try to avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime, per the Mayo Clinic. This can not only cause nausea but may even disrupt your sleep.

A night out on the town may lead to a painful hangover. Some of the most common symptoms after excessive alcohol consumption are nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, according to Jesus Lizarzaburu, MD, a family medicine physician in Yorktown, Virginia.

Too much alcohol can cause dehydration (more on that below), inflammation and electrolyte imbalance, per the Cleveland Clinic.

If you're looking for a hangover remedy, stick to the basics: Drink water to rehydrate your body, get plenty of sleep to fight off your fatigue and eat some carbohydrates like crackers or toast to boost your blood sugar and reduce nausea. (No, the "hair of the dog" will not actually help you feel better.)

If you have a nagging headache that won't go away, try taking an aspirin, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Of course, if you're regularly waking up nauseous after drinking, you might want to think about cutting back on alcohol.

Whether or not you drink enough water can play a major part in how your body functions. Dehydration happens when there's an insufficient amount of water in the body, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Pro tip: If you're feeling thirsty, you've already reached the point of mild dehydration. Severe cases of dehydration can cause nausea, a rapid pulse, confusion, muscle twitching and other symptoms that warrant talking to a doctor.

While mild signs of dehydration don't usually include nausea, nausea and vomiting can worsen dehydration because you lose even more fluid than you're taking in, Dr. Lizarzaburu explains.

Drinking enough water throughout the day is a simple way to stay on top of your hydration. The amount of water you need daily depends on several factors including weight, activity level and environment, according to the Mayo Clinic.

While you'll often hear the advice to have at least 8 glasses of water per day, it's not quite that simple. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommend the average adult should have about 11.5 to 15.5 cups per day, but that includes water from foods as well as other drinks like coffee and tea.

Acid reflux happens when your stomach acid flows back into your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), according to the Mayo Clinic, causing pain and irritation.

"[Acid reflux] leads to a burning sensation in the throat and nausea," Dr. Sonpal says. "When sleeping in a flat position, acid reflux can be more prominent in the morning, rather than right after eating."

Cut fatty foods like cheese and red meats out of your evening meals or snacks, Dr. Sonpal recommends.

"Heavy foods like these cause the stomach to not digest as quickly as before," he says. "Thus, the cream and meat sit in the stomach acid for longer periods of time and lead to bloating and nausea."

Anxiety and stress can cause nausea, especially if these emotions are keeping you up at night.

When you're anxious, your body releases hormones that can affect your digestion, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. This chemical imbalance can cause various stomach issues, including nausea.

"Mental health and poor sleep patterns are also closely associated with morning nausea," Dr. Sonpal says. "Anxiety does not only directly affect a person's mental wellbeing but their physical health as well. Stress has a direct correlation to an uneasy stomach and should not be ruled out of the equation."

It's definitely easier said than done, but it's important to reduce anxiety and stress in your day-to-day life. In some cases, that can include consulting a mental health professional or using free mental health resources as needed.

Also, try to practice healthy sleep habits, Dr. Sonpal says. Staying up late at night, especially for work purposes, can contribute to anxiety or stress, potentially leading to nausea when you wake up.

Waking up with a migraine is more than just a headache. It's an intense throbbing pain that can last for hours or even days, thwarting your plans for the day. Migraine attacks are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, per the Mayo Clinic. According to the American Migraine Foundation, the most common time for a migraine to occur is in the early morning.

"Usually, people tend to be dehydrated by the early morning and dehydration can be a trigger for headaches and migraines," Dr. Lizarzaburu says. "Nausea can be present with migraines as a package deal for some people."

Migraines can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes, per Dr. Lizarzaburu. If you're looking for immediate relief, over-the-counter medicine like ibuprofen or aspirin can reduce symptoms.

Other proven strategies to manage migraines include sitting in a dark room, blocking out loud noises and staying cool, according to the Mayo Clinic. Try keeping track of your migraines with a journal; noting when your migraines are occurring, how long they last and the symptoms you're experiencing can help you identify patterns and potential triggers, per the Mayo Clinic.

Feeling backed up can no doubt be uncomfortable. Constipation happens when bowel movements become irregular and difficult to pass, per the Cleveland Clinic. On top of that, nausea and stomach cramps are common symptoms of constipation, so it can be one reason you might wake up nauseous when you're not pregnant.

Certain lifestyle factors can be causes of constipation including a not eating enough fiber-rich foods, not drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, high stress levels and changes in your regular routine. That said, mild cases of constipation can be treated with self-care.

Constipation can be avoided by including fiber in your diet, drinking enough fluids, staying active and managing stress, per the Mayo Clinic. For fast nausea and constipation relief, try sipping on a hot drink like tea or coffee, or take a laxative to speed up the process. Avoid high-fat foods like processed meats and fast food when constipated, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Severe cases of constipation can be caused by serious medical and health conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diabetes. If constipation continues after self-care methods, it's best to talk to your doctor, Dr. Lizarzaburu says.

"If you are experiencing chronic nausea, you should schedule an appointment with your family physician to see if there is an underlying serious condition or discuss next steps on options to prevent nausea from occurring," he says.

If you've started a new birth control, it may be your reasons for nausea. Nausea, dizziness and bloating are common side effects of combination birth control pills, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Talk to your prescribing doctor to help manage your symptoms or change your medication completely.

In some cases, nausea and vomiting can be a sign of morning sickness, a symptom of early pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. What causes morning sickness? It's not fully understood, but hormone changes may play a role. Often, morning sickness can be triggered by certain smells or spicy foods, but sometimes it has no trigger at all.

If you're experiencing morning sickness or have a late menstrual cycle, you may want to see a doctor or take a personal pregnancy test to see if pregnancy may be causing your morning nausea.

Talk to a health care professional if you've been nauseous in the morning for longer than a month, according to the Mayo Clinic, and home remedies for nausea aren't working.

If you have nausea and vomiting and any of these additional troubling symptoms, seek medical attention immediately, per the Mayo Clinic:

• Chest pain
• Blurry vision
• High fever and stiff neck
• Bloody stool
• Severe abdominal pain