The time has come to normalize it and talk about your poop schedule. Are you one of the lucky ones that it works like a clock? Or are you more of the type who has no idea if today you will be blessed with going to the bathroom? Gastroenterologists consider the normal frequency of bowel movements to range from three times a week to several times a day. Also, your body is really programmed to want to go in the morning, and if you take advantage of that opportunity, you can get into a routine.
Why are bowel movements more frequent in the morning?
During sleep, the motility of the colon usually stops. This is good news, as no one wants to poop at night. But after you wake up, things start to move again and the stimulating waves from the colon tell your body that it is time to move the stool to the upper rectum. This is why your brain tells you that it is time to go to the bathroom.
There are other factors that help in this, including the gastrocolic reflex . Eating sends food to the stomach, and as the stomach stretches, hormones are released that signal the colon to squeeze and move things.
As you can see, it is a real merit to keep a schedule for bowel movements. Routinely pooping makes way for more food in your body and decreases bloating, constipation, and other gastrointestinal symptoms that occur when you're holding back stool.
The good news is, if you want to put "having a bowel movement" on your to-do list in the morning, there are ways to get there.
How to get a schedule to poop in the morning?
Find out what works
If you have no idea when you are actually going, then you should keep a diary of
. Yes, write down when and what you eat, and when you are going to have a bowel movement.
Monitoring yourself in this way for a few weeks can help you connect the dots about how your lifestyle and habits play regularly. You may also notice that a recent change in diet (such as the amount of fruits or vegetables you eat, added fiber, or eating only at certain times) has caused your bowel movements to go haywire.
Listen to your impulse
When you have the feeling of going to the toilet, do not hold back. It may sound simple, but with our busy lifestyle, it's easy to ignore or delay your trip to the bathroom. Do not do it. Listening to the urge helps maintain a normal bowel pattern.
Reserve some time in the morning
This is one of the best things you can do. Because if you run out the door, get in the car, or go somewhere where you don't feel comfortable pooping, you may in fact ignore the urge to do so.
Set aside a few minutes in the morning before you go out.
Try it every morning
Don't give up because one day you won't be able to defecate. Go to the bathroom and poop if you can. But you also don't sit there for half an hour while you bug the phone, that can cause strain and create problems.
If you can't do anything, get up and do something else.
Have breakfast
You can skip breakfast because you're not hungry in the morning, you're on intermittent fasting and eat later, or because you don't really like food for breakfast. But if you want to have a particular schedule in the morning, eating helps because it triggers that gastrocolic reflex.
What you eat also matters. Foods high in fat tend to activate colon contractions more than foods high in protein and carbohydrates.
Eat a healthy diet
This means drinking enough fluids and eating enough fiber, both of which are components of healthy stool.
Consult a doctor
Call your doctor for any presence of blood (every time, but especially if you have a family history of colon cancer) or drastic changes in your bowel movements. For example, you now have constipation when you were previously regular or are experiencing a bout of diarrhea.
However, having a few days of uncontrolled bowel movements can be caused by things that happen in your life, such as stress, travel, a change in diet, lack of sleep, or an infection.
