Why You Have Morning Gas and Fart in Your Sleep

Morning gas and farting in your sleep can have a few different causes. You might fart at night or first thing in the morning because of normal variations in your anal sphincter, the ring of muscle that keeps the anus shut. Your anal sphincter is more relaxed during sleep and will spontaneously relax as you awaken, which makes it easier for gas to escape.

Other factors like older age, diet, obesity, gastrointestinal problems, rectal injury, medications, and even the position of your body in bed can also contribute to night farts and morning gas.

This article will help you understand why you pass gas so much in the morning or overnight. It also offers tips and advice on how to reduce morning and nighttime flatulence and explains why you might experience morning bloat.

Causes of Morning Gas

The causes of morning gas are the same as they are for all farts, also known as flatus. Gas enters your digestive tract when you swallow air while eating, or as acids and bacteria in your digestive system break down food and drink.

Throughout the night, healthy bacteria work in your gut to digest food. The process of creating gas continues as you sleep, which can cause you to wake up with morning gas.

When you eat food, it also stimulates the digestive system muscle activity that's suppressed when you sleep. Getting up in the morning and starting your day may spur a bout of morning farts, especially if you have a routine morning bowel movement.

In some cases, medical conditions may contribute to how much gas your digestive system produces. These conditions include:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Digestive conditions, like gluten-related celiac disease
• Certain cancers, including colorectal (CRC) and stomach cancers

Medications That Cause Gas

Medications and vitamin supplements can cause gas, too. Some of the more commonly used over-the-counter products that can cause gas include:

• Aspirin
• Antacids
• Fiber supplements
• Multivitamins and iron pills

Why You Fart When You Sleep

It may seem like you have more morning gas, but experts say that's not always true. You're less likely to swallow air while sleeping, but you may actually be more likely to fart than you are while you're awake.

This may have to do with the body's metabolic state while sleeping, although it remains poorly understood. It's also likely related to the way your anal sphincter works, its level of relaxation, and the pressures found inside your rectum that help you to expel gas and feces (poop).

The sphincter controls your ability to pass gas, which relies on specific reflexes and messages from the nervous system. One, called the coloanal reflex, is at work when you fart because it allows for both the internal and external anal sphincter to relax in response to pressure waves in the rectum.

Another, called the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR), allows the internal sphincter to relax but not the external sphincter. This helps with control over gas and bowel movements.

People don't typically lose bowel control when sleeping unless there's an underlying medical reason, but the gas itself may pass. On the other hand, sleep inhibits muscle activity that's involved in these responses, so some people may find they have far more morning gas when they wake up.

Preventing Morning and Nighttime Flatulence

If you're looking to prevent morning gas, consider a few lifestyle changes first. You may want to avoid some of the activities that can introduce gas into your digestive system. These include:

• Smoking
• Eating or drinking too quickly
• Chewing gum
• Drinking carbonated beverages
• Wearing dentures that are a poor fit

Avoiding certain foods like beans can help, too. Other foods that lead to gas include:

• Milk and dairy products
• Wheat and bran
• Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower
• Some fruits, including apples and peaches

Exercise also can help to establish healthier bowel habits and less frequent gas.

Over-the-counter medications, including products with simethicone to relieve gas, may also help.

Why Am I Bloated in the Morning?

There are a few possible reasons why you might wake up bloated. Trapped gas in your digestive tract can make you feel gassy and bloated and can be painful, too.

This uncomfortable morning feeling often has something to do with what you ate the night before. Food and drinks that cause gas can cause morning bloating, too, especially if consumed late at night.

Other things that can contribute to morning bloating include:

• High-sodium foods that cause water retention
• Going to bed right after a meal
• Eating a large meal before bedtime

If morning bloating is a frequent problem for you, try these tips:

• Avoid gas-causing foods, especially right before bed 
• Eat smaller meals 
• Avoid eating right before bed
• Eat low-sodium foods
• Drink herbal tea containing ginger or ginseng 
• Take a digestive enzyme
• Get plenty of exercise
  

If your morning bloating persists, you may need to see your healthcare provider. It is possible that a medical condition or a medication you're taking could be causing your symptoms. 

Summary

It's quite common to need to fart in the morning, and the causes are typically routine too. The digestive process itself generates gas, along with the air that you might swallow while eating or drinking.

In most cases, morning gas is a function of the way the body's digestive tract works. While you can still fart in your sleep, the act of waking up, starting your day, and your normal bowel routine may all contribute to your morning gas.

Morning gas can be reduced with lifestyle and diet changes. You also may want to avoid habits that contribute to the amount of air you swallow, like smoking, or try over-the-counter gas relief products.