Why You Feel Sick When You Wake Up Earlier Than Normal

Have you ever set your alarm early to catch a flight or head to a work event, and been overwhelmed by a sicky feeling? If so, you’re certainly not alone.

People have taken to Reddit’s r/NightOwls forum to try and understand the phenomenon. One person explained how they’d wake up at 7am to shower and get ready and “feel like throwing up”.

“This has been happening for basically my entire life. Up until today it stopped because I had a schedule that had me waking up at like 2pm. No nausea at all,” they explained.

“But suddenly it’s back and now I think it has something to do with waking up in the morning.”

Among the numerous other comments from people agreeing they struggle, too, one person added: “YES!! no matter how much sleep I get or if I eat before bed I still get nauseous waking up early, but not if I wake up at my normal time.”

Dr Zachary Rubin, a double board-certified paediatrician specialising in allergy and immunology, shared on Instagram that it’s “common” for people to experience nausea if they wake up earlier than usual and there are several reasons why this might be.

He explained: “When you wake up earlier, it can disrupt your digestive system since it has its own body clock – kind of like the circadian rhythm you have with your sleep cycle.

“That, coupled with having an empty stomach, stress hormones, and lack of sleep can make you feel quite queasy.”

According to BASS Medical Group, low blood sugar can contribute to morning nausea and lightheadedness. “If you skipped dinner or didn’t eat enough protein and carbs the night before, your body may be running on empty by morning,” reads the site.

Dehydration and anxiety can also contribute to this sensation, as can taking certain types of medication (iron tablets, antibiotics, etc) and underlying gastrointestinal conditions.

To reduce the chance of this happening, Dr Rubin suggested getting to bed earlier if you plan on having an early start.

He also suggested ensuring you have a bright light exposed to you when you first wake up “because that’ll help jump start your day from a circadian rhythm standpoint”.

Eat a bland snack, if you can, and hydrate to help your digestive system. “Avoid fatty foods or alcohol,” he also advised.

If you’re going to be travelling by car somewhere – for example, a taxi to the airport or train station – he advises staying off your phone, sitting in the front seat and having plenty of air circulating to help keep motion sickness at bay.

Lastly, the expert warned, if you suffer nausea every morning (regardless of when you wake up), you’re vomiting, losing weight, having severe abdominal pain, headaches, or it’s possible you’re pregnant, speak to your medical provider about it as an underlying issue may be at play.