Vomiting in sleep: 10 Causes, 23 Ways on How to prevent it naturally
Vomiting in sleep can ruin your sleep and make you wake up all of a sudden while sleeping. It’s really terrible. Let’s explore all about it.
Vomiting refers to a situation when you involuntarily emit your stomach contents through the mouth or at times through the nose. Though not painful, vomiting is very unpleasant and may cause discomfort. Some of the causes of vomiting include overfeeding, eating wrong foods, lousy sleeping positions, acid reflux among others.
Signs that you are going to vomit include burping, a lot of saliva in your mouth, bitter saliva and heartburn.
Vomiting in sleep:
Some people vomit in their sleep. Some make it out of bed in time while others don’t realise they want to vomit until after vomiting. Others don’t even realise that they have vomited until morning.
Children vomiting in sleep:
Children might also vomit in sleep. Causes of children vomiting vary. It could be sleeping in wrong positions, a stomach virus and, eating the wrong food. In other cases, vomiting may be a sign of a severe medical condition.
Causes of vomiting in sleep:
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To treat vomiting, you have to identify the triggers of vomiting in sleep. Some of the reasons include;
Overfeeding:
When you consume more than enough food, your stomach tries to push out the excess food. When the food components are brought back in your food pipe, the result is vomiting in sleep.
Eating late:
Doctors recommend that you take food 3-4 hours before you sleep to allow digestion. If you sleep immediately after eating there is indigestion which may cause you to throw up in your sleep.
Alcohol intake:
A lot of alcohol intake at night may cause vomiting in sleep this is mostly the case when you mix drinks. Another reason why you may vomit after taking alcohol is if you eat foods that don’t agree with alcohol. You can take alcohol at night but in small quantities and mind what you consume.
Acid reflux:
Acid reflux is a condition where gastric acids are pushed to your mouth. One of the causes of acid reflux is a hiatal hernia. A situation where your upper abdomen moves above the diaphragm causing acids to move into your mouth.
Stress:
Both emotional and physical stress can cause vomiting in sleep.
Food:
There are certain types of foods that don’t agree with your body. This food may trigger vomiting in your sleep. Some people vomit after taking foods such as pawpaw and, mayonnaise.
Food poisoning:
Causes of food poisoning include viruses, bacteria, and even parasites; Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and, diarrhoea; and may cause vomiting in sleep.
Infant vomiting:
There is nothing as depressing as your child seek. Vomiting is one of the conditions that can make your child very weak. In children vomiting in sleep can be caused by the food they eat, stomach viruses. In some cases, vomiting is a symptom of a severe medical condition.
Pregnancy:
One of the symptoms of pregnancy is vomiting. Pregnancy could be very early in the morning or later in the day.
Gas:
Gas in the stomach causes bloating. When your stomach bloats, you may feel like vomiting. Gas can be caused by carbonated drinks, chewing gum and even staying for long without eating. Symptoms of gas include burping, passing gas and throwing up. With a bloated stomach, there are chances of vomiting in bed.
Vomiting in sleep-How to prevent it naturally:
When you identify what triggers vomiting in bed, you will be in a position to identify ways to prevent it from happening.
Eat what is enough:
To avoid vomiting in your sleep take what is enough for you. When you take too much food than you usually do there will be no space for it in your stomach, and it will be forced back in your food pipe. Food being pushed back in your windpipe is what may cause vomiting in sleep.
You should therefore not exceed the standard amount that you usually take.
Eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep:
Eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep so that you can allow digestion of food. When your food is fully digested, you can sleep without any worries of vomiting in sleep.
Relax:
After eating give yourself some time to relax before you continue working. This is because if you start bending after you have taken food, food will not behave settled in the stomach and some might still be in the food pipe. Bending will bring the food back to the mouth causing you to vomit
Reduce alcohol intake:
Reducing the amount of alcohol you take at a time will keep you from vomiting in sleep. When you drink, try not to mix alcohol and also be mindful of what you eat as you drink.
Stress:
By avoiding stressful situations, you reduce your chances of throwing up in your sleep. Make sure that you are in a calm state and even better learn how to manage stress and anxiety.
Acid reflux:
To treat acid reflux don’t take excess food, eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep, don’t wear tight clothes or tight belts and quit smoking.
Gas:
To treat gas avoid taking carbonated beverages, quit smoking and reduce the number of gums you chew.
Food:
You should make a point of identifying the foods that cause stomach upsets.
Sleeping position:
You may need to consider changing your sleeping position. If you usually sleep on your belly, try sleeping facing up. Change of sleeping position will help with vomiting in sleep.
Baking soda:
When you have acid reflux take baking soda. Prepare a mixture of baking soda and water. Baking soda will help relieve vomiting and nausea.
Take a lot of fluids:
To manage vomiting take fluids but in small amounts. If you take fluids hurriedly, you might worsen the urge of vomiting. Fluids will help keep you hydrated even after vomiting.
Find distractions:
When you feel like vomiting finds something to do. Be it reading a book or even doing light house chores. Distractions will help divert your mind from the feeling of vomiting.
Have candy:
When you feel like vomiting, and your saliva is bitter take sweets to finish the bitter taste in your mouth. By changing the bitter taste in your mouth, the feeling of vomiting will subside.
Chew ginger:
Ginger is good for digestion, and it contains antiemetic properties which will help with nausea and vomiting. The taste of ginger in your mouth will also help in reducing the urge to vomiting in your sleep.
Clove:
Clove also helps in digestion and gives the cure to vomiting. You may use few cloves to prepare tea that you will sip onto or add honey to fried cloves and swallow.
Rice water:
Taking water that you use to boil rice sounds insane. However, this rice water is what you might be needing to cure vomiting and nausea. Water used to wash rice can also be used.
Take lemons:
In an event where you have taken food with a lot of oil take lemons. Lemons help to get rid of the greasy feeling after eating oily foods. Hot water can also be used to help with the greasy feeling.
Incline your bed:
Changing your sleeping position is not enough. You may be needed to incline the side of the bed where you lay your head. By inclining your bed, you reduce chances of foods and acids from coming back to your mouth causing vomiting in your sleep.
Breath fresh air:
To breath in the fresh air, you can open a window close to you or go outside. By breathing fresh air, you reduce the feeling of nausea and treat vomiting.
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon helps in treating nausea and vomiting. You can prepare a mixture of cinnamon powder and hot water. Take it in small bits and wait for results. It is essential to note that cinnamon is not suitable for pregnant women.
Blueberries:
To relief, your child from nausea and vomiting, prepare a blueberry shake and give it to your child. Blueberry helps ease vomiting and nausea.
Sleep facing up:
When your child goes to sleep ensure that she sleeps facing up. This will help prevent food and acids from going back in the mouth.
Stand up after eating:
Standing up after eating helps in the movement of food down into the stomach. You should stand up or move around for some meetings. Standing up after eating will help reduce chances of you vomiting in sleep.
When should you visit a doctor?
Vomiting is not a serious condition as it may occur just ones. However, if vomiting goes on even after trying the above remedies, it is important you visit your doctor for proper diagnosis.
An instance that may force you to visit a paediatrician is when your child vomits repeatedly. Your child may be vomiting because of an underlying disease which only the doctor can diagnose.
References:
- https://www.epainassist.com/articles/causes-of-vomiting-while-sleeping-and-how-to-prevent-it-naturally
- https://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/improve-sleep
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/520543-natural-home-remedy-for-children-with-an-upset-stomach-due-to-a-virus/
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/symptoms-causes
