7 Reasons You’re Waking Up Gassy, According to a Doctor

After a night of shut-eye, it's not uncommon to wake up with a big gust of morning wind. After all, your body is ready to release all the stored gas it built up overnight.

But if you always start the day playing the butt trumpet, you might wonder: ‌Why am I so gassy in the morning?‌ While flatulence is a fact of life, frequent or excessive morning farts could be a sign that something's going on in your gut.

Here, Rajiv Sharma, MD, an Indiana-based integrative gastroenterologist and the author of ‌Pursuit of Gut Happiness‌‌,‌ shares the seven most common causes of morning farting, plus what you can do to stop cutting the cheese at sunrise.

Warning: If you experience frequent vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, unintended weight loss, or sharp or worsening belly pain, or if your stool floats, has a foul odor, is tough to flush, or contains blood, see your doctor immediately as these can be symptoms of a serious medical condition, Dr. Sharma says.

1. You Ate Gassy Foods the Night Before

That big bowl of salad you ate for dinner last night could be bringing on a morning fart. Gas-inducing foods such as beans, legumes, cauliflower, and cabbage contain a lot of fiber and FODMAPs (short-chain carbohydrates found naturally in many foods). Fermentation by gut microbes then produces CO2, methane, and other gases that give you digestive discomfort, Sharma says.

Spicy foods can make you fart, too. Too much spiciness triggers gut motility, making you pass more gas, Sharma says.

‌Fix It

To prevent painful morning gas, limit gas-inducing foods and drink lots of water, Sharma says. Taking probiotics (which promote healthy gut flora) is also helpful, he adds.

When your morning belly bloat is in full swing, you can turn to over-the-counter medications like simethicone — found in products like Gas-X — to decrease the discomfort caused by excessive gas, Sharma says.

2. You Have Aerophagia

Your a.m. gassiness could be a by-product of aerophagia, a condition that occurs when a person unintentionally swallows too much air, which enters the gastrointestinal (GI) system and causes symptoms like farting, bloating, and belching, Sharma says.

While a little air in your GI tract doesn't seem like a big deal, it can deliver a lot of discomfort. Think of it this way: You have air trapped in a 20-foot tunnel. "Air travels fast, like a hurricane in the gut and butt," and it wants to get out, Sharma says.

‌Fix It

You can avoid aerophagia by not talking while eating or drinking, Sharma says. In addition, practicing yoga and relaxation and being cognizant of your airflow (air should go down the nose and windpipe, not the esophagus or food pipe) can be helpful as well, he says.

3. You Don’t Drink Enough Water

When you're not getting enough water, gassiness and constipation can occur.

That's because without sufficient H2O, your stool will become dry (hello, constipation), and your gut transit time will be delayed, Sharma says. In the meantime, fermentation of foods will cause hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide to build up in the gut, he says. Essentially, your belly fills like a balloon.

‌Fix It

Aim to drink 64 ounces (that's 8 cups) of water a day, Sharma suggests. This will help keep things flowing smoothly and prevent your backside from getting backed up with poop and gas.

4. You’re Getting Your Period

Your monthly menses may be the reason why you fart a lot in the morning.

Indeed, the hormonal changes that happen during your period can affect your gut. For example, some hormones slow down gut motility, leading to stagnated poop and secretions, Sharma says. And this causes a chain reaction of increased fermentation and gas production, he adds.

This gas can also cause back pain — contributing to the cramping that people often feel in their stomach and back while menstruating.

‌Fix It

‌Luckily, menstruation and the associated gassiness is only temporary. Your gut should go back to normal as your cycle progresses.

5. You Have a Gut Infection

Frequent flatulence can be a sign of an intestinal infection caused by bacteria or parasites, Sharma says.

• An ache or burning pain in the abdomen
• Abdominal pain that's worse when the stomach is empty
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent burping
• Unintentional weight loss

‌Fix It

If you suspect that you have an intestinal infection, see your doctor, who can treat you with an antibiotic or antiparasitic.

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Use water purifiers or drink bottled water.
• Wash produce with safe, uncontaminated water.
• Keep your mouth closed when swimming in pools, lakes, and streams.
• Practice safe sex.

6. You’re Taking Certain Medications

Certain medicines can meddle with your stomach and make you extra gassy in the morning.

Normally, gas trapped in the GI system will cause pain and dilation of the gut, which then triggers the brain to relax your anal sphincter, so you can pass wind, Sharma says.

But some medications — like those used to treat depression and stroke, for example — interfere with your body's ability to do this, which results in more retention of gas and stool, he says.

‌Fix It

‌Speak with your doctor, who may be able to adjust your dosage or prescribe you another drug. Minimizing your intake of gas-inducing foods can be helpful as well, Sharma says.

7. You Have an Underlying Medical Condition

Sometimes frequent morning gas can be a symptom of a more serious underlying medical problem. For instance, a cancerous mass in the gut can create an obstruction of stool and gas, Sharma says. Additionally, when cancer cells die, they ferment, producing gas, which builds up in your gut, he says.

Another chronic health condition that generates excessive gas and bloating, and can cause morning farts, is Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that's characterized by inflammation in the digestive tract. Crohn's disease causes bleeding and malabsorption of food along with a blockage of flow of gas and liquids, Sharma says.

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Mouth sores
• Reduced appetite and weight loss
• Pain or drainage near or around the anus

‌Fix It

If you have persistent, excessive gas along with abdominal pain or bloody stool, or if you have any of the above signs, see a gastroenterologist, who will be able to assess you and make a proper diagnosis.

The Takeaway

• It's not uncommon to fart in the morning because your body's ready to release all the stored gas it built up overnight.
• Many factors are responsible for frequent morning farting. For instance, the foods you ate the night before, lack of water, certain medical conditions, gut infections, or starting your period.
• If you have persistent, excessive gas along with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, unintended weight loss, or bloody stool, see a gastroenterologist, who will be able to assess you and make a proper diagnosis, as you may have a serious medical condition.