I am a physically fit 57 year old male who takes no prescription or other drugs. Every night when I go to sleep I feel fine, but every morning I wake up sick, feeling somewhat nauseas as if I'm toxic or have a hangover. It takes from 1-3 hours before the sickness dissipates and I feel good enough to go to work.
If I get up with less than 5 hours of sleep then I'm okay (just tired). If I sleep for a total of 6 hours or more I get sick, even if I get up for an hour and then go back to sleep. My only other symptom is vivid nightmares.
This has been going on for over a year. I have seen 4 physicians (general, GI, sleep and an anesthetist) without a successful prognosis. They all agree it might be a neurological or endocrine disorder, perhaps circadian. None has ever heard of someone who consistently goes to sleep feeling fine but wakes up sick. Cortisol, testosterone, growth hormone, melatonin, and serotonin levels have all been hypothesized as possible problem issues but only in a cursory sense.
I have no problems with insomnia, falling or staying asleep, and do not have apnea. I have had a complete metabolic workup and everything is good including diagnostics on my gastrointestinal system and no sign of GERD. I work from home in an uncontaminated environment, my weight and diet are good, I have no food or environmental allergies and do not suffer from depression or anxiety. There is no tingling or dizziness either and it makes no make a difference what or when I eat before sleeping. I just am sick every morning when I wake up.
What internal issues might be happening to me, especially during the last 2-3 hours of sleep, that makes me sick every single morning?