Experiencing pain in your stomach ache at night is more common than it is. And this happens for a number of reasons.
In many cases, more severe conditions might be happening in your body such as cardiac illnesses or cancer! Mild cases on the other hand can simply be cured by a change in lifestyle, diet, or with some medications.
Below are the Top main reasons for Nighttime Stomach Pain
Digestive Issues
It is the most common reason for pain in the stomach at night.
If you eat meals before bedtime, this means that your body will start the digestion process while you’re lying down and this means that stomach acid can easily travel back into your digestive tract.
Insomnia and other sleeping illnesses or disorders can make it worse especially if you have ulcers, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
When your stomach is full and you are lying down, it put on more pressure on your stomach muscle which can lead to pain in your stomach.
Acid Reflux
As mentioned earlier, stomach acids can travel back up through your food pipe when you are lying down that can cause pain and a burning sensation in your esophagus or food pipe. Acid reflux can cause nausea, gas, coughing, vomiting, and bloating.
Top Reasons for Acid Reflux
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Overeating close to sleeping time
- Obesity
- Food intake (spicy, fried or high in fat food)
- Coffee before bedtime can cause stomach ache while asleep as well
GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
GERD can cause a burning sensation in your food pipe. It can also cause nausea, vomiting and indigestion. These symptoms can be amplified when lying down causing your stomach to hurt.
Ulcers – peptic, intestinal, and stomach
Eating a lot after you feel extreme hunger can cause a burning sensation in your stomach region. And this can cause pain in your stomach when you go directly to sleep at night.
Gallstones
Your gallbladder releases bile to aid in digestion. The bile can build up and harden and become gallstones.
Gallstone sizes vary from being a tiny grain of sand to as big as a ping pong ball! Pain happens when these gallstones block the bile duct system of your liver, pancreas, or gallbladder. This blockage can cause pain in your stomach not only during nighttime but any time of the day that’s usually after a heavy fatty meal.
Gallstones can be serious and make sure that you know how to detect their symptoms as you will need to consult your doctor for possible surgery through open-wound or laparoscopic surgery. There are newer ways to remove gallstones so make sure to ask your doctor about the best option for your case.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
People with IBS can experience stomach ache at night. Its common symptoms include gas and bloating that usually occurs after eating. Having a large evening meal before bedtime can cause extreme pain in people with IBS.
Celiac Disease
This is an allergy to wheat protein, barley, rye or spelt, and gluten. It can cause inflamed intestines that can result in extreme pain, and cramps to your abdominal area.
Celiac Disease symptoms are diarrhea, bloating, and fatigue.
Crohn’s Disease
Chrohn’s is a type of IBD. It’s an inflammation on the lining of your digestive tract that causes weight loss, fatigue, and abdominal pain.
Endometriosis or Menstrual Cramps
Menstruation can cause stomach pain as the uterine lining sheds. Endometriosis occurs when the tissues of your uterus grow exorbitantly outside your uterus which can cause long-lasting menstrual pain.
Food Intolerance and Allergies
If you’re experiencing pain in your stomach at night after a meal, it can be caused by what you ate. Stomach pain must be an indication of a food allergy or intolerance. Make sure to consult your doctor about pain lasting after eating.
Other Possible Causes of Nighttime Stomach Pain
- Constipation – when stool or body waste products build up in your intestine and colon, this stretches it and puts pressure on them causing pain in your abdomen.
- Gas – Digestion slows down at night causing. Gas can build up and cause stomach pain.
- Sleep position – If your stomach is full, your sleep position can cause pressure on your stomach, or hinders normal blood flow which can intesifies pain in your stomach.
Not feeling Normal? When to see a doctor
In general, stomach pain at night is not a reason to worry. But if symptoms occur frequently or become long-term, it is time to visit your doctor and get a professional diagnosis.
If symptoms become extremely uncomfortable and start interfering with your daily routine, you need to be asses by your doctor.
The following are other symptoms that call for immediate concern and diagnosis.
- Pain persists after taking over-the-counter medicines
- Pain becomes frequent and regular
- Pain is accompanied by fever
- Drastic and unexplained loss of weight
- Stomach is painful to touch
- Pain pierces through your back
- Jaundice or yellowing of skin and eyes
- Vomiting with blood
- Blood in your stools
- Muscle and joint pains
- Swelling of the stomach region
Other More Serious Disease for Stomach Pain
- Kidney Stones
- Fatty Liver
- Food Poisoning
- Hiatal Hernia
- Stomach Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Cardiac illnesses or events
Preventing Nighttime Stomach Pain
Simple ways can be taken to ensure that you have good night sleep and prevent pain in your stomach at night. This is as simple as changing your diet and lifestyle. There are also over-the-counter medications you can take to prevent pain in your stomach at night.
The following are common tips to avoid this.
- Don’t eat when you’re about to or near your sleeping time
- Elevate your head to prevent acid reflux
- Avoid drinking caffeinated and carbonated drinks at night
- Avoid fatty foods at night
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Don’t overeat
- Use OTC (Over-the-counter) medications available at your local pharmacy or online. This includes gas medications and antacids.
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