Sleeping on your side with your head raised can ease symptoms and keep you from choking on your vomit, if you're unable to make it to the bathroom in time.
You should sleep elevated and on your side when feeling nauseous. While it does not matter which side you lay on, sleeping on your side can reduce your chances of choking if you were to vomit in your sleep.
Allow yourself to rest. Resting propped up in a seated position with the head elevated at least twelve inches above the feet is ideal. Remain in this seated rested position for a minimum of an hour, or until you are no longer experiencing nausea. Do not lie down all the way.
Do not eat or drink anything for several hours after vomiting. Sip small amounts of water or suck ice chips every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Next, sip clear liquids every 15 minutes for 3-4 hours. Examples include water, sports drinks, flat soda, clear broth, gelatin, flavored ice, popsicles or apple juice.
Try drinking sips of water, weak tea, clear soft drinks without carbonation, noncaffeinated sports drinks, or broth. Sugary drinks may calm the stomach better than other liquids. Temporarily stop taking oral medicines. These can make vomiting worse.
You may not know you're contagious at first. The flu can cause you to be highly contagious one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming ill. Likewise, if your symptoms are digestive (nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea), stay home until you're feeling better.
First, most of the time your brain will give you that sick feeling to warn you that something is going to happen. Second, just before throwing up your body produces extra saliva, which helps protect your teeth from the strong acid. Third, the vomiting process releases chemicals in your body to make you feel better.
Contrary to how yucky it may feel, it's not great to brush your teeth right after vomiting. It's best to swish water around your mouth with a touch of baking soda after vomiting. We recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before brushing. Brushing immediately after rubs the stomach acid on teeth.
Getting extra sleep when you're sick doesn't just give you a few hours of respite from unpleasant symptoms: Sleep is like medicine for the immune system, ultimately helping you make a full recovery from an illness. “Sleep is the only time of anyone's day or night where we have restoration processes happening.
Change Your Sleeping Position
The best overall position to aid digestion is on your left side. This position uses gravity to help waste make its way through the digestive tract. Left side sleeping can also reduce heartburn because this keeps stomach acid lower in the esophagus.
Sometimes, mild nausea and even morning sickness may improve by using your middle and index fingers to press firmly down on the groove between the two large tendons on the inside of your wrist that start at the base of your palm.
The best overall position to aid digestion is on your left side. This position uses gravity to help waste make its way through the digestive tract. Left side sleeping can also reduce heartburn because this keeps stomach acid lower in the esophagus. The next best position is on your back with your head elevated.
To soothe your stomach and avoid vomiting, just start humming. It seems too good to be true as it is so simple, but humming will override the nausea by suppressing the gag reflex. The simple truth is you can't hum and gag at the same time.
Sleep professionals agree that sleeping on your back and left side is best for digestion and pain management. While knowing what side to lay on when your stomach hurts can help you avoid further discomfort, it is ultimately your body that will make the decision of what feels right.
If you often deal with bloating, constipation, and stomach aches, try sleeping on your left side. In this position, gravity helps waste move from the small intestine to the large intestine.
Spooning, in which both partners sleep on their sides, with one facing the back of the other partner, is a classic sleeping position for romantic partners. A reported 18% of couples sleep in a spooning position at night.
Vomiting is a symptom, not a disease or condition. Vomiting can be classed as acute (a short term isolated attack) or chronic (ongoing or recurrent). Gastroenteritis and food poisoning are the most common underlying causes of sudden vomiting and usually clear up without treatment in a couple of days.
Pretzels and plain potato chips can help settle your stomach. Why? Because they're bland, salty, non-acidic, easy to digest, and require minimal effort from your gastrointestinal system. Remember, foods with strong odors and flavors can make nausea worse.