Experiencing bloating or indigestion is never fun, and oftentimes, we’ll seek comfort foods or drinks to feel better while suffering from this. Some drinks are better than others, and we checked in with registered dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts to learn more about one beverage type experts suggest skipping if you don’t want to experience bloating in the morning. Read on for tips and suggestions from Blair Persyn, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, registered dietitian and owner of Bites With Blair, LLC, and Blanca Garcia, RDN, registered dietitian, nutritionist, and nutrition specialist of Healthcanal.
How Skipping *Any* Drink With Dairy Can Prevent Morning Bloat
While morning bloat can be caused by a myriad of factors, Garcia explains that sipping on anything with dairy at night is a no-no if you don't want to experience indigestion when waking up the next day. This includes tea or other soothing warm drinks that are great on their own for bloating prevention. Essentially, if you're thinking of adding a dash of milk or cream, Garcia advises against this if you frequently experience morning bloating.
As she describes dairy products to be "known to cause" bloating in general, it's more than likely that consuming them at night before bed will lead to a more painful morning. Dairy products in your nightly drinks might seem healthy due to their "probiotics that can be beneficial for the digestive system," Garcia acknowledges, but because of the "slow down of the digestive tract" during sleep, it can "create bloating and discomfort."
"The moment you start sleeping, the body stops moving and starts resting and restoring the body," she continues. "One thing we don’t realize is that the digestive system slows down, and won’t receive nutrients for more than eight hours." In this situation, Garcia says the habits you practice before bedtime can most definitely "affect the way your digestive system reacts while it has slowed down."
Other Tips To Avoid Bloating In The Morning
Apart from skipping dairy right before bed, Persyn says that there are a number of other things to keep in mind if you waant to avoid morning bloat. "Going to bed late and getting poor sleep can result in increased cortisol levels and more stress, she says. "In turn, the sympathetic nervous system is activated and our blood flows away from our gut and towards our extremities to allow us to 'fight or flight.'"
Essentially, she notes that the body is not in the best mode to "rest and digest," which can lead to bloating. Increased cortisol levels have also been linked to "insulin resistance and increased visceral fat," which is the fat that accumulates around the midsection. We can mitigate this, she recommends, by "going to bed earlier and activating the parasympathetic nervous system with yoga and meditation."
Eating a large meal right before bed can also increase bloating by "not allowing the body time to digest," Persyn says. Additionally, if that meal is "high in sodium," the body may be "holding onto excess fluid" when you wake up in the morning, making you feel more bloated. We can avoid this, Persyn stresses, by "eating a couple of hours before going to bed and avoiding excess salt in our meals."
