Is Lack of Sleep Making You Nauseous?

Lack of sleep from a bad night with sleep apnea can be terrible enough, but sometimes it can lead to feeling nauseous. You know that empty sloshing feeling you have in the whole of your stomach? Then you can feel it start to creep up your esophagus...OK, I should stop.

What helps when I feel nauseous?

I get nauseous quite often. Most of the time, it's because I haven't eaten enough and my stomach is too empty. If you start feeling it creep up, try eating something. I've found something filling is best, like bread or something with carbs. Drinking water can also help but might not last as long. Heat can make a big difference for me, too.

If I'm not feeling well, I'll sit in front of my space heater and the heat will help relax my muscles and the rest of my body. Sometimes naps are helpful to sleep off the unpleasant sensation, assuming you're able to fall asleep. But if you can't, even just lying down to rest can sometimes do the trick.

What if nausea strikes when I am out and about?

Nausea can hit anywhere. Nausea does not care if you are in Walmart about to check out and then need to leave your cart to run to the restroom. So consider having a go-bag with some of these helpful items:

A water bottle with a straw

A water bottle for your favorite drink – water, sweet tea, whatever – helps. I suggest bringing 1 with a straw because if your energy is already drained, this can be helpful.

Little baggies full of snacks

These are great if you're on the go! Trail mix, Chex Mix, a few slices of bread, saltine crackers, whatever you think might be helpful for you.

Portable heating pads

If you're also into the warmth thing, there are reusable heating pads that fit into the palm of your hand. You can activate it, place it on your stomach or wherever you want, and then reuse it another time.

A portable fan

This is the opposite of my last tip. If you live in a warmer climate, heat exhaustion is probably a thing and can make you nauseous. Having a little battery-operated handheld fan helps more than you would think!

A change of clothing

If you're wearing tight clothing when you aren't feeling well, you end up feeling worse. I like to keep a change of comfy clothes in my car for multiple reasons. Grab your favorite hoodie and sweatpants and toss them in the car!

A sleeping mask

If you're sensitive to light when you aren't feeling well, a sleeping mask might be a good item to keep on hand or sunglasses. Obviously, only wear the mask if you're safely sitting in your car!

Throw up bags

Worst case scenario, if you do throw up, make sure you have some disposable bags on hand. No one wants to hurl all over a public place. There are smaller bags sold in stores that are ironically meant to clean up pets' poops while they're going for a walk, but they are a good size to keep in your bag and large enough to hurl in.

I hope these tips help! Do you ever feel nauseated after a night of poor sleep? How do you get through the day? Tell us in the comments below!