Do you wake up feeling nauseous in the mornings, wondering to yourself “why do I get sick easily?” You aren’t alone. Contrary to popular belief, morning sickness doesn’t just affect pregnant women.
There are many possible reasons why you might feel sick after a night’s sleep, which we’ll discuss in the article below. These include psychological factors like stress and anxiety, dietary issues like dehydration and low blood sugar, and fatigue. Just read on to learn more.
Stress might seem to be a purely psychological issue, but it has many effects on the physical body, too. One of the physical consequences of stress is the production of excess stomach acids. These acids irritate the stomach lining, which can then trigger feelings of nausea.
This means that, ironically, obsessing over the question “why do I get sick easily” could be worsening your feelings of nausea. If you’ve been under a lot of stress recently or experienced chronic fatigue, look at our other blog for 5 top tips on reducing stress.
When we sleep, we go for many hours without drinking water, and this dehydration can trigger feelings of nausea in the morning. Some actions, like drinking alcohol or caffeine immediately before you sleep, can increase the likelihood of being dehydrated when you wake up.
If you think you might be suffering from dehydration, just drinking some water should help your symptoms settle. Try to stay regularly hydrated throughout the day. If you’re a caffeine addict wondering why do you get sick easily, save your coffee for the morning instead!
Low levels of glucose in the bloodstream can lead to feelings of nausea. This can happen when you’ve not eaten for several hours. Paradoxically, having a heavy meal before bed can also lead to low blood sugar levels, as it can create an insulin spike that causes blood sugar levels to crash later on. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can also cause low blood sugar levels, as it makes it harder for your liver to release glucose into the blood.
Do you often feel tired and hungry when you wake up? Then have a carbohydrate-based snack to raise your glucose levels. It’s good to pair this with a quality protein and healthy source of fat to help you stay full and prevent another blood sugar drop later in the day, and stop you wondering, “why do I get sick easily?”.
Butterflies in your stomach can make you feel sick in the mouth. The morning can be stressful, as you think through everything to do in the day ahead, especially if you have an important event coming up or if you are rushing to get to work or children to school. This can cause high feelings of anxiety, which can lead to feelings of nausea.
Many strategies can help you cope with the symptoms of anxiety. Getting some fresh air can relieve your symptoms, as can drinking peppermint or ginger tea. Healthy distractions, like watching a relaxing movie or reading a book can also help.
When we feel stressed out, the adrenal glands release levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Levels of cortisol rise naturally in the morning, to help us face the day ahead. Cortisol levels decrease over the course of the day so that we’re relaxed and ready to sleep in the evening. But in our modern world, this natural rhythm can often be thrown out of balance, leaving you wondering, “why do I get sick easily?”.
You can try to fix this imbalance by keeping to a stable routine. Eating set meals at the same time each day and sticking to a regular sleep schedule can help balance your cortisol levels and the levels of other hormones in the body. Remember an hours’ sleep before midnight is worth two hours after.
Changes to your body’s sleep-wake cycle caused by jet lag, or sleep issues like insomnia, can affect your circadian rhythm. This can then affect the body’s neuroendocrine response, which can lead to feelings of nausea.
If you have trouble sleeping, establishing a good, reliable sleep routine can help. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning to create a natural sleep rhythm and stop you wondering why do you get sick easily. You should also try to aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night so that you wake up feeling well-rested. Just one nights’ poor sleep affects over 700 different metabolic responses.
If you’re looking for a skilled professional who can help get you performing at your best, the team at Global Health Clinics are here for you. We are practitioners of the Beat Fatigue programme, the natural way to overcome adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and many of the causes behind the blues. Just contact us at +64 (09) 488 0208 for more information, or to book an appointment. You won’t have to ask yourself “why do I get sick easily?” any longer when you choose us.
