Why Do I Poop In The Morning — And Sometimes Twice? A Gastroenterologist Explains

Why do I poop so much in the morning? Is it normal to poop every morning? What about pooping multiple times each morning? These are the types of questions you may ask Google but understandably don’t bring up in daily conversation. Because of the TMI nature surrounding poop, it can be hard to get conclusive answers about why you always have to poop in the morning and whether it’s normal. Fortunately, we’re here to tell you that it is.

According to experts, the ideal pooping regimen is indeed once a day, in the morning. That being said, consistency — as in frequency, not texture — matters more than anything else when it comes to poop. (Note that this applies only to grownups, not baby poop.)

Whether you have diarrhea every morning or take solid dumps at night, poop a lot or a little, like clockwork or more sporadically, know you’re not alone. (And please, don’t hold in your poop.) But for many people, pooping every morning or even twice or more each morning is normal, and for good reason. The human body is best equipped to poop in the morning hours, medical experts say.

Why Do I Poop So Much In The Morning?

“In the morning, when we first wake up, an internal alarm clock goes off in our colon, and the colon starts contracting more vigorously,” says gastroenterologist Sarina Pasricha, M.D. “In fact, the colon contracts and squeezes three times as hard in the first hour we are awake compared to when we are sleeping.”

What happens in your sleep is a big reason your body is usually ready for a poop in the morning. As you snooze, the small intestine and colon work to process all the food leftover from the day. After waking, it usually takes around 30 minutes for the urge to poop to set in.

Morning routines like stretching, drinking water, and, of course, downing coffee all help to move digestion and trigger that first poop. About 30% of people report the need to poop after a hot cup of joe. “Drinking early morning coffee works synergistically with gut motility to create healthy bowel movements,” Pasricha says. Another effective trick is a glass of warm salt water (with a little lemon to improve the taste). Although it won’t “detox” your body as some claim, it definitely helps get the bowels moving.

Don’t feel pressure to poop in the morning, though. Taking a prompt morning poop isn’t critical to a person’s health, Pasricha says. But it sure is a healthy way to poop as it ensures that you’re pooping on a regular basis.

“Some people may not have morning bowel movements, and this does not necessarily mean there are any issues,” she says. “It is okay not to have morning bowel movements as long as people are having regular daily bowel movements.”

Is Pooping Twice Or Multiple Times In The Morning Okay?

If you don’t poop every morning, worry not. Not everyone should be pooping every single morning, and there’s no set number of times a day you should poop. Pooping anywhere from three days a week to three times a day is normal. Even if all three of those times are in the morning. But if you’re pooping a lot more than twice a day, you should check in with your doctor, just to be safe.

And if you don’t poop as often as you’d like, look to your lifestyle habits. Diet and exercise make the biggest difference between weekly and daily dumpers. Regular sleep also plays a role in how often you poop. “Sleep disturbances alter the natural colon peristalsis. People can have irregular bowel movements,” Pasricha warns. “Uninterrupted deep sleep is important in maintaining healthy pooping behavior.”

Ultimately, it’s less about how many times a day you poop and more about consistency. Look out for sudden changes in how often you poop, but know that it’s normal for deviations to occur during menstruation or travel (an estimated 40% of people experience constipation while on vacation).

Consistency of the poop itself can also be important. Occasional morning diarrhea is normal, but if it happens every day, you should check with a doctor, as it could signal an issue like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Even if it doesn’t progress to something more serious, starting the day with diarrhea is certainly not fun.

How Many Bowel Movements a Day Is Normal?

Bowel movement frequency is an important health marker. A healthy daily routine should include:

• About one poop a day, but three times a week to three times a day is considered a normal range.
• If you’re pooping a lot more than twice a day, you should check in with your doctor.
• A poop about 30 minutes after waking is normal (although no one should panic if this isn’t their window).
• Coffee or even a glass of salt water can help keep you regular.
• If you have diarrhea every morning, check with your doctor as this is a common sign of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS.