I wakened on the sofa feeling nauseous and groggy, with a needle-jabbing-my-temples headache. Was it the flu? Did I eat one thing unhealthy? There was drool on my cheek, and I glanced on the clock. I remembered checking the time at 1.30 pm; it was now 4pm.
I’d unintentionally taken a nap.
Many individuals say there’s nothing like a very good nap – however not me. It all the time offers me stomach-turning nausea, normally for the remainder of the day.
So I do my finest to keep away from dozing, even once I want the remainder. In school, I’d energy by way of even when I pulled an all-nighter. However now, as a mom, my no-nap life-style is harder to keep up. I really feel like I’m taking part in real-life “would you fairly”: zombie-tired from staying up all evening with my crying child or spin-cycle sick?
Dr Waiz Wasey, a Mayo Clinic-trained sleep doctor based mostly in Scottsdale, Arizona, says signs reminiscent of nausea, dizziness and lightheadedness after a nap are frequent. These can fluctuate from gentle to day-ruining, and will have totally different causes. Due to this, he says, therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Why do I really feel sick after a nap?
There are a number of causes folks may expertise nausea, dizziness or a typically unwell feeling after a nap.
Sleep inertia: Wasey says sleep inertia, characterised by dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea and disorientation, is without doubt one of the foremost causes folks really feel sick after taking a nap.
Sleep cycles sometimes final about 90 minutes, which incorporates three sleep stages plus REM sleep. Folks normally undergo three or 4 sleep cycles per evening, however when nappers wake with out finishing a full cycle, they could expertise disagreeable, typically disorienting, signs, he says.
Most instances of sleep inertia are gentle and resolve on their very own after about 20 minutes, says Dr Funke Afolabi-Brown, a triple-board-certified sleep medication doctor based mostly in Philadelphia. However excessive instances can contain “debilitating signs lasting 4 to 6 hours, generally with vomiting or panic-like signs”.
Sleep inertia isn’t nap-specific: it will possibly additionally occur whenever you wake from an evening’s sleep. However that is much less frequent, says Wasey, as somebody who has accomplished a couple of sleep cycles feels extra restored upon waking.
Signs additionally are usually extra extreme after a nap due to your physique’s circadian rhythm, or pure every day sleep cycle. “Your physique isn’t anticipating to sleep within the afternoon,” Afolabi-Brown says. “Morning grogginess normally resolves inside 15-Half-hour, whereas post-nap signs might persist longer.”
Wasey notes that individuals who have sleep apnea, insomnia or sleep deprivation usually tend to expertise extra excessive signs of sleep inertia.
Gastrointestinal points: Acid reflux disorder – additionally known as gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn – is a typical reason for nausea, dizziness and chest ache after resting, says Dr Bharat Pothuri, a board-certified gastroenterologist based mostly in Houston, Texas. It’s characterised by abdomen acid touring into the esophagus, and mendacity down after consuming makes it worse, says Pothuri.
Nearly everybody will expertise some acid reflux disease every now and then, Pothuri provides, particularly after consuming fatty or acidic meals. However some expertise extra extreme signs. About 20% of the US population is affected by frequent acid reflux disease, or gastroesophageal reflux illness (also called Gerd), and is extra prone to expertise nausea after mendacity down.
Abdomen points can present up after a full evening’s relaxation, however it’s particularly frequent for daytime snoozers as a result of they could lie down straight after lunch or a snack.
Dr Rucha Mehta Shah, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, says weight-reduction plan performs a job. “Sure meals like fatty, fried, creamy, dairy or high-fiber meals can sit longer and trigger extra signs,” she says.
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Different causes: Dehydration and low blood sugar could make an individual really feel unwell upon waking, says Wasey. Sleep apnea, a situation the place one’s respiratory stops and begins abruptly throughout sleep, may cause signs reminiscent of complications, sore throat and even anxiousness. “Disruptions in respiratory can result in drops in oxygen ranges that may set off complications, dizziness, and nausea,” he explains.
Much less frequent points embody dysautonomia, the shortcoming to control involuntary physique features reminiscent of coronary heart fee and blood stress, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, characterised by dizziness after your head adjustments positions, reminiscent of mendacity down or sitting up in mattress.
In case you suspect any of those, Wasey says to speak with a health care provider.
Does the size of a nap matter?
A brief slumber is a secure wager.
“We all the time encourage naps to be transient: 20 minutes or much less,” says Wasey. “If a nap is greater than 20 minutes, it will possibly go into deep sleep. In the event that they wake throughout deep sleep, they’re extra prone to expertise disagreeable signs upon waking.”
If a fast lie-down doesn’t seem to be sufficient, give your self time to finish one full 90-minute sleep cycle. “I inform sufferers to both do a 20-minute or a 90-minute nap,” he says.
If GI points are inflicting issues, preserve the nap below half an hour, says Pothuri. The digestive system tends to decelerate after 20 minutes of sleep, which implies meals stays within the abdomen longer. Plus, much less horizontal time means much less time for abdomen acid to annoy the esophagus.
How will you forestall and deal with post-nap nausea?
Maintain naps brief, says Wasey – or skip them altogether. It helps to have a very good evening’s relaxation, he says: “Begin a bedtime routine by winding down, studying a e-book or meditating, and restrict blue mild one to 2 hours earlier than precise bedtime.”
Afolabi-Brown says that in case you take a nap, doing so earlier within the day can assist make sure you don’t have hassle sleeping at evening. Snoozing too lengthy or too late within the day can cut back your sleep drive, the stress to sleep that builds in our our bodies the longer we’re awake.
In case you suspect GI points, Shah recommends ready till your meals has digested earlier than mendacity down – ideally three to 4 hours. If that’s not real looking, attempt to keep away from spicy, acidic and fatty meals earlier than napping. And whenever you lie down, prop your self up with pillows or an adjustable mattress. “We need to work with gravity,” says Shah. “Preserving the top and chest elevated will imply much less acid harm to the decrease a part of the esophagus.”
Over-the-counter antacids can alleviate signs, but when discomfort persists, Shah recommends seeing a health care provider. Prescription medicines might present extra aid, or a doctor might need to test for different points within the esophagus, reminiscent of an infection, ulcers or esophagitis.
After talking with the specialists, I put aside a day to strive their recommendation. I stored breakfast and lunch easy, swapping an acidic orange for toast and ignoring lasagne leftovers in favor of a light-weight salad. When my son went down for a nap, I made a mini mountain of pillows to prop myself up and set an alarm for 20 minutes. After I wakened, I felt refreshed, rested and completely satisfied – no nausea or mind fog.
I don’t all the time have the forethought to keep away from triggering meals or organize pillows. However thanks to those changes, I’ve found that there actually is nothing like a very good nap.