Why do I feel so much worse after a nap – and how can I avoid it? | Well actually

I awoke on the sofa feeling nauseous and groggy, with a needle-jabbing-my-temples headache. Was it the flu? Did I eat one thing dangerous? 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 an excellent nap – however not me. It at all times offers me stomach-turning nausea, often for the remainder of the day.So I do my finest to keep away from dozing, even after I want the remainder. In faculty, I’d energy by way of even when I pulled an all-nighter. However now, as a mother, my no-nap life-style is harder to keep up. I really feel like I’m taking part in real-life “would you relatively”: 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 akin to nausea, dizziness and lightheadedness after a nap are widespread. These can fluctuate from gentle to day-ruining, and will have totally different causes. Due to this, he says, remedy isn’t one-size-fits-all.Why do I really feel sick after a nap?There are a number of causes individuals 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 among the essential causes individuals really feel sick after taking a nap.Sleep cycles usually final about 90 minutes, which incorporates three sleep phases plus REM sleep. Folks often undergo three or 4 sleep cycles per evening, however when nappers wake with out finishing a full cycle, they might expertise disagreeable, typically disorienting, signs, he says.Most circumstances 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 circumstances can contain “debilitating signs lasting 4 to 6 hours, generally with vomiting or panic-like signs”.Sleep inertia isn’t nap-specific: it may additionally occur if you wake from an evening’s sleep. However that is much less widespread, 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 often resolves inside 15-Half-hour, whereas post-nap signs could 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 referred to as gastroesophageal reflux or heartburn – is a standard reason behind 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.Graphic with three strains of textual content that say, in daring, ‘Properly Really’, then ‘Learn extra on residing an excellent life in a fancy world,’ then a pinkish-lavender pill-shaped button with white letters that say ‘Extra from this part’Nearly everybody will expertise some acid reflux disorder from time to time, Pothuri provides, particularly after consuming fatty or acidic meals. However some expertise extra extreme signs. About 20% of the US inhabitants is affected by frequent acid reflux disorder, or gastroesophageal reflux illness (also referred to as Gerd), and is extra prone to expertise nausea after mendacity down.Abdomen points can present up after a full evening’s relaxation, nevertheless it’s particularly widespread for daytime snoozers as a result of they might lie down immediately after lunch or a snack.Dr Rucha Mehta Shah, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, says eating regimen performs a job. “Sure meals like fatty, fried, creamy, dairy or high-fiber meals can sit longer and trigger extra signs,” she says.skip previous publication promotionPractical recommendation, knowledgeable insights and solutions to your questions on reside an excellent lifePrivacy Discover: Newsletters could include data about charities, on-line adverts, and content material funded by outdoors events. For extra data see our Privateness Coverage. We use Google reCaptcha to guard our web site and the Google Privateness Coverage and Phrases of Service apply.after publication promotionOther 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 respiration stops and begins abruptly throughout sleep, could cause signs akin to complications, sore throat and even anxiousness. “Disruptions in respiration can result in drops in oxygen ranges that may set off complications, dizziness, and nausea,” he explains.Much less widespread points embody dysautonomia, the lack to manage involuntary physique capabilities akin to coronary heart fee and blood stress, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, characterised by dizziness after your head modifications positions, akin to mendacity down or sitting up in mattress.When 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 protected wager.“We at all times encourage naps to be transient: 20 minutes or much less,” says Wasey. “If a nap is greater than 20 minutes, it may 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, hold the nap beneath half an hour, says Pothuri. The digestive system tends to decelerate after 20 minutes of sleep, which suggests meals stays within the abdomen longer. Plus, much less horizontal time means much less time for abdomen acid to annoy the esophagus.How are you going to stop and deal with post-nap nausea?Maintain naps brief, says Wasey – or skip them altogether. It helps to have an excellent 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 should you take a nap, doing so earlier within the day may also help make sure you don’t have hassle sleeping at evening. Snoozing too lengthy or too late within the day can scale back your sleep drive, the stress to sleep that builds in our our bodies the longer we’re awake.When 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 practical, attempt to keep away from spicy, acidic and fatty meals earlier than napping. And if you lie down, prop your self up with pillows or an adjustable mattress. “We need to work with gravity,” says Shah. “Protecting 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 drugs could present extra reduction, or a doctor could need to verify for different points within the esophagus, akin to an infection, ulcers or esophagitis.After talking with the specialists, I put aside a day to strive their recommendation. I saved 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 awoke, I felt refreshed, rested and blissful – no nausea or mind fog.I don’t at all times 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 an excellent nap.