Nausea at night in early pregnancy

Pregnancy nausea is often called morning sickness, but it can appear at any time. An empty stomach after a long gap without food, tiredness, reflux, strong cooking smells or lying down soon after eating may make it more noticeable at night. Nausea alone does not confirm pregnancy, and other illnesses can also cause it.

Keep a plain snack beside the bed and eat a small amount before standing up if mornings are difficult. During the day, choose small, frequent meals with foods you tolerate, and take regular sips of water. Avoid personal triggers such as greasy meals or strong odours, and leave time between eating and lying down. Ginger or an acupressure approach may help some people, but discuss supplements and medicines with a clinician during pregnancy.

Contact a maternity or medical service promptly if you cannot keep fluids down, are passing very little urine, feel faint, have severe abdominal pain, fever, blood in vomit or worsening weakness. Repeated vomiting can cause dehydration and may need prescription treatment or fluids. Seek urgent help for collapse, confusion or severe pain.

Ask which anti-sickness medicines are suitable for your pregnancy, how to recognise dehydration, and whether reflux or another condition could be adding to the night-time symptoms.