Vomiting While Sleeping

Vomiting, throwing up, getting sick, puking, whatever you may call it, it is one of the most unpleasant experiences that we go through. The reasons may be varied, but that does not take away the utter revulsion that we feel when the chunks of food and bile come swimming up and out of our mouths. Too graphic for you? Now imagine doing this while you are sleeping! Imagine waking up with the acrid smell of vomit in your nostrils and the disgusting flavor in your mouth. Yes, there are a lot of people who fall prey to vomiting while they sleep. It is one of the most discomforting experiences and can turn very dangerous if not taken care of in time. This Buzzle article will attempt to give you an insight on what could be causing this.

Why does One Vomit While Sleeping
There are a lot of people who suffer from involuntary bouts of throwing up in their sleep. While some of them may wake up just in time to rush to the bathroom, some of them are not so lucky. They end up puking in their sleep and wake up either in the middle of it or after it's done. What causes vomiting while sleeping? Let us see what the most probable cause could be.

Food: Sometimes, it may happen that you eat a particular food item that does not agree with you. You may not realize this at the time. But when you sleep immediately after eating it, the stomach juices react with the food, find it unacceptable and send it back out by way of vomiting. This may happen even if you are awake. But since you slept off, you may feel like it happened only in your sleep.

Acid Reflux: Another very probable cause of vomiting while sleeping is acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition in which the food that one ingests is sent back to the food pipe, in the process inflaming and irritating the inner lining esophagus and causing ulceration in it. This can be very uncomfortable and cause other symptoms like heartburn too. Acid reflux is a very good possibility of you waking up to vomiting bouts.

Infant Vomiting in Sleep: If it's your baby that is suffering from this, then the cause is probably that he has developed gas in his stomach or has had too much milk to drink. So, he throws out the excess milk by vomiting. Make sure to burp the baby once you're done feeding him.

How to Prevent Vomiting While Sleeping
The causes mentioned above may or may not be the ones behind your vomiting spells. But there are some things that you can do to help yourself get some respite from this harrowing experience.

The first thing that you can do to get rid of waking up in the middle of the night with the smell and taste of vomit in your nose and mouth is to make sure that you stay away from foods that do not suit you. Greasy, spicy and oily foods top this list!
Next thing, sleep at least three to four hours after eating your food. Sometimes probably the short gap between the meal and the sleeping time can make the food churn and come up into the food pipe.
You can also try to change your sleeping position. Try to sleep atilt. This means try to sleep in a position that is slightly slanting, not completely straight.
You may also want to try out some natural remedies for acid reflux. They can help soothe the inflammation and ease the vomiting if it is indeed caused due to acid reflux.
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that alcohol and caffeine can worsen this problem. So cut down on their consumption as much as you can to feel some relief.

If your problem of vomiting while sleeping continues for more than a couple of days even after you've tried different ways to get rid of it, make sure you consult a doctor. It is an unusual phenomenon and can lead to conditions like aspiration pneumonia too. So take care and get yourself treated soon.