The causes of night nausea are often the same as those that contribute to nausea during the day. Some of the most common causes of nighttime nausea are stress, morning sickness, medication side effects, and viral or bacterial infections. An individual may also experience night nausea because of heartburn or indigestion. In some cases, a person may also feel nauseous during the night because he has overindulged in an alcoholic beverage. Though night nausea may not be cause for alarm, a person with persistent nausea may do well to seek advice from a doctor.
Stress is one of the most common causes of night nausea. During the daytime hours, many people are too busy to notice the effects of stress and anxiety. At night, however, when things are quiet and they have an opportunity to rest, some people become overwhelmed by worries and stresses. This may not only cause a person to become nauseated, but may also make it difficult for him to sleep.
Morning sickness is another frequent cause of night nausea. Morning sickness, which is marked by nausea and vomiting, is a common symptom of early pregnancy. Many people expect morning sickness symptoms to be troublesome only in the morning, but are surprised to learn that it can affect a pregnant woman at any time of the day or night. It may even be worse at night because a woman’s stomach often feels empty at this time of day, which can contribute to feelings of queasiness.
Gastrointestinal illnesses that develop because of viruses and bacteria may also cause a person to experience night nausea. For example, a person who has contracted a stomach virus may experience symptoms at night. Such symptoms can develop at any time of the day or night, however. The nighttime onset of nausea may simply be related to when the person contracted the virus. If, for instance, a person has contracted a virus during the day that has an eight-hour incubation period, chances are good that he will begin to feel nauseous during the night.
In some cases, indigestion and heartburn may lead to nausea at night. An individual may, for example, eat something at dinner that causes him to have an upset stomach. In some cases, symptoms don’t occur right away, but may lead to nausea at some point during the night. Heartburn, which is marked by stomach acid that moves into the esophagus, may also cause nausea at night. In fact, those who go to bed within three hours of eating may be more likely to experience this cause of nausea.
An individual may also experience night nausea after overindulging in alcoholic beverages. In some cases, a person will begin to feel nauseous soon after drinking to excess. In other cases, however, a person may go to sleep and wake up to feelings of nausea later.