At the beginning of your pregnancy, you would find yourself running to the toilet to be violently sick after your morning coffee. In fact, it was this symptom which led you to take a pregnancy test in the first place. However, as your pregnancy progressed, you started to notice that your sickness was occurring at night instead of in the morning. It started to become so bad that it would wake you up, and even keep you from falling asleep in the first place!

Although many women will experience their pregnancy sickness in the morning, it isn’t the same for everyone and can occur at any time of the day or night. If you find you’ve been getting your pregnancy sickness at night, then there are several things you can do to remedy this.

But before we delve into these tips, let’s outline exactly what morning sickness is.

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy and includes nausea and vomiting. As many as 9 out of 10 women will experience it.

Morning sickness usually occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy and tends to get better during the second, by around 16 to 20 weeks.

Although it isn’t completely certain why pregnancy makes women feel nauseous, experts believe that it is a side effect of changes happening within the body during this time. For example, hormonal changes, slower digestion, and sensitivity to smells.

Now that we’ve talked about what morning sickness is, let’s talk about what you can do if you are experiencing this pregnancy symptom at night.

What can I do about pregnancy sickness at night?

Try a bedtime snack

If you have an empty stomach, then you are more likely to experience nausea. This is why eating a light evening snack that contains protein and carbohydrates can often help with this. Try something like half a sandwich with milk, a fruit smoothie, or your favourite cereal. Try to avoid any spicy, sweet, fried or fatty foods, as these are much more likely to make you feel nauseous.

Get as much rest as you can

Getting as much rest as possible is important if you’re experiencing pregnancy sickness, as being overtired can make things much worse. So, try to take naps whenever you feel you need them and rest throughout the day. If you’re finding it hard to sleep, get up and do something relaxing until you feel yourself getting tired again.

Wear acupressure wristbands

Wearing soft cotton acupressure wristbands at night is a great way to reduce pregnancy sickness at night. The bands come with a button attached that presses on acupressure points on your inner wrists.

Keep biscuits by your bed

If you’re experiencing pregnancy sickness at night, then you might be woken up by your sickness. If this is the case, then snacking on plain biscuits can help you settle your stomach enough to fall back asleep. Ginger biscuits have been found to be particularly helpful.

Make your bedroom cool and dark

When you’re pregnant, your body temperature will be slightly raised, and can make you feel more unwell if you’re already feeling sick. This means that making your sleeping environment as cool and dark as possible will help to counteract this. To do this, open the window to let some air in, use lighter duvets and blankets, and purchase an eye mask or a pair of earplugs to block out noise and light.

How do I know if I’m suffering from severe pregnancy sickness?

Although sickness during pregnancy is normal, severe pregnancy sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) is not. If you find yourself finding it difficult to keep anything down, then you might be suffering from this, and we would advise you to contact your GP for help.

What can I do about pregnancy sickness at night?

Pregnancy sickness doesn't care what time it is. Here's how to feel better.